Learning to Speak a Second Language
How to speak fluently in less time — whether
in an established school or in independent study.
Lynn Lundquist
Public Domain
Public Domain Statement
This book is not copyright protected.
Our purpose in offering this popular book to publishers
without cost is to advertise the Spoken English Learned Quickly language
course on our www.FreeEnglishNow.com website.
Publication of this book helps us advertise.
This book may be translated into other languages.
The English text and graphics may be downloaded from our website.
Any publication may carry the publisher's own copyright.
Introduction
You have just arrived in another country and want to study the local language. There
are a number of language schools promising that they will teach you to speak fluently.
While telling you they will teach you to speak, they will actually teach you to read, to
write, and to memorize grammar rules, but they will largely fail to retrain your tongue to
speak the local language.
Or you may be in an area where there is little formal language study available. You
may find a tutor or a small school that will claim to teach you the language. Again,
however, the language instruction will likely do little to retrain your tongue to actually
speak that new language.
In either case, you face the same obstacle. On the one hand, there are prestigious
institutions that will expose you to current methods and enriched cultural life, but they
will fail to provide the necessary retraining so that you can rapidly learn to speak fluently.
On the other hand, there are inadequately prepared schools trying to teach their language
courses without understanding what learning to speak a second language entails.
This book was written to show you how to effectively learn a new language. It will
give you important information regarding methods to use, whether you enroll in a highly
esteemed university language program or study in a remote area with few formal
language learning resources. Its primary purpose, however, is to show you how to retrain
your mind — and your tongue — in order to acquire a new language.
With that information, you can learn to speak your target language in considerably
less time regardless of the resources available to you.
Chapter 1: The Proprioceptive Sense in Language Learning explains the concept on
which the new Feedback Training Method described in this book is built. Chapters 3 and
following will tell you how you can apply that information as you learn your target
language.
Chapter 2: Focusing on the Target Language addresses the critical concern of
choosing the kind of language instruction that is best for you. Too often a language
course is selected for no other reason than that the name of the target language is included
in the course title. This chapter evaluates the important step of selecting appropriate
language instruction by showing the choices made by a fictitious international student as
she selects her own English study program.
The appendix material is taken from the free downloadable website course Spoken
English Learned Quickly at www.FreeEnglishNow.com. The appendices demonstrate
various types of spoken language exercises that you could develop in your target
language.
We wish you the best of success as you begin studying your new target language.
This axiom is almost universally true for every adult
intentionally or unwittingly faced with learning a new language,
whether that individual is a university student, a career diplomat,
a secular or religious social service provider, a professional, or an
immigrant working as a day laborer:
The effort you expend to acquire a new
target language during your first few months of
residence in a new country will never be surpassed
at a later period of time.
If you begin your study with determination to learn your target
language fluently, and if you select effective language learning
methods in order to achieve that end, you will make steady
progress toward reaching your goal. However, once you
accommodate your speaking ability to a level which merely
allows you to get by, you will never rise above your self-
actualized plateau of mediocrity, and will consign yourself to
failure in ever acquiring fluent language skills.
I
NDEX
:
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Proprioceptive Sense in Language Learning
1
Chapter 2: Focusing On the Target Language
8
Chapter 3: Four Rules for Learning a Spoken Language
13
Chapter 4: Grammar and Writing in Spoken Language Study 17
Chapter 5: Do You Need Both Beginning and Advanced Lessons? 21
Chapter 6: Selecting a Text 27
Chapter 7: Studying the Verb
34
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work
42
Looking to the Future
52
Appendix Overview
53
Appendix A: Introductory Lesson 55
Appendix B: Text Exercises 58
Appendix C: Lesson Exercises 61
Appendix D: More Verb Exercises 66
Appendix E: Expression Exercises 69
Appendix F: Miscellaneous Exercises 71
Chapter 1: The Proprioceptive Sense in Language Learning
Chapter summary: Human speech uses a closed-loop control system. Speech is
controlled in the mind by feedback from hearing and mouth position as much as it is
by memory. In order to produce fluent speech, language instruction for Second
Acquired Language (SAL) speaking adults must simultaneously retrain the entire
feedback chain used by the mind.
By using methodology restricted to open-loop control which emphasizes memory
alone without the simultaneous training of all senses, grammar-based language
instruction fails to effectively teach spoken language to adult learners.
n order to teach adult students to speak a second language fluently, it is necessary to
understand how the human mind produces speech before it is possible to design an
effective language instruction program for them.
I
However, before looking at speech, drawing an analogy from machine control will be
helpful because the analogy closely parallels neurological responses in spoken language.
Open-loop machine control
Wikipedia describes an open-loop control system as follows:
An open-loop controller, also called a non-feedback
controller, is a type of controller that computes its input
into a system using only the current state . . . of the
system. A characteristic of the open-loop controller is
that it does not use feedback to determine if its input has
achieved the desired goal. This means that the system does
not observe the output of the processes that it is
controlling. Consequently, a true open-loop system . . .
cannot correct any errors that it could make.
For example, a sprinkler system, programmed to turn on at
set times could be an example of an open-loop system if it
does not measure soil moisture as a form of feedback. Even
if rain is pouring down on the lawn, the sprinkler system
would activate on schedule, wasting water.
Figure 1 shows an open-loop control system. The control could be a simple switch, or
it could be a combination of a switch and a timer. Yet, all it can do is turn the machine
on. It cannot respond to anything the machine is doing.
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Closed-loop machine control
Wikipedia then describes closed-loop control as
follows:
To avoid the problems of the open-
loop controller, control theory
introduces feedback. A closed-loop
controller uses feedback to control
states or outputs of a dynamic system.
Its name comes from the information
path in the system: process inputs (e.g.
voltage applied to a motor) have an
effect on the process outputs
(e.g. velocity. . . of the motor), which is measured with sensors
and processed by the controller; the result (the control signal)
is used as input to the process, closing the loop.
Wikipedia's definition of a closed-loop system subsequently becomes too technical to
use here. However, as Wikipedia suggests above, a sprinkler incorporating a soil
moisture sensor would be a simple closed-loop system. The sprinkler system would have
both a timer and a control valve. Either could operate independently, and either could
shut the water off, but both would need to be open in order for the sprinkler to operate.
The arrangement is shown in Figure 2.
If the soil is already moist, the sprinkler will remain off whether or not the timer is
open. When the moisture probe senses dry soil, the valve is opened. However, after the
sprinkler is on, if the soil becomes moist enough, the valve will close even if the timer is
still open. Thus, the sprinkler uses feedback
from its own operation to control itself.
Figure 3 shows a simple closed-loop machine
control.
Notice that Figure 3 also shows a calibration
function. Irrespective of whether it is a soil
moisture sensor on a sprinkler — or a counter on
a machine — there must be some way of setting
the control so that it will respond in a
Chapter 1: The Proprioceptive Sense in Language Learning
2
Learning to Speak a Second Language
predetermined way. In a machine application, the calibration function could be a counter
that is set so that the machine will shut down after producing a certain number of finished
parts.
Human speech is a closed-loop system
Human speech is a complex learned skill and is dependent on a number of memory and
neurological functions. Speech is a closed-loop system because sensors within the
system itself give feedback to the control portion of the system. The control then corrects
and coordinates ongoing speech. In this case, the mind is in control of the closed-loop
system, the mouth produces the desired product (speech), and auditory feedback from the
ears and proprioceptive feedback from the mouth allow the mind to coordinate the speech
process in real time.
[1]
The inter-relationship of these functions is shown in the table below. The meaning of
specialized words is given below the table.
The Organ or Sense
Primary Function(s)
Comments
The mind provides:
1. Vocabulary memory
2. Partial syntax control
3. Feedback coordination
4. Calibration by the speaker to
give meaning to the sounds
The mind is the storage bank
for vocabulary. Memory is
also involved in structuring
syntax. In addition, the mind
uses both auditory and
proprioceptive feedback to
monitor and calibrate speech
in real time.
The mouth and related
organs provide:
1. Sound production
2. Breath regulation
3. Proprioceptive feedback to the
mind in real time which
regulates pronunciation and
provides partial syntax control
The proprioceptive sense is
involved in both
pronunciation and syntax
feedback. It is essential for
speech control.
Hearing provides:
1. Auditory feedback to the mind in
real time
Auditory and proprioceptive
feedback are combined in the
mind for essential speech
control.
Table 1: The three components of human speech and their primary functions.
Proprioceptive.
[2]
Human speech would be impossible without the proprioceptive sense.
(Proprioceptive refers to the sense within the organism itself that detects or controls the
movement and location of the muscles, tendons, and joints which are used to create
Chapter 1: The Proprioceptive Sense in Language Learning
3
Learning to Speak a Second Language
speech.) Our mouth, vocal cords, diaphragm, and lungs incorporate thousands of nerve
sensors that the brain uses to control their movement and determine their position.
Imagine the complexity of pronouncing even a single word with the need to coordinate
the tongue, breath control, and jaw muscles. Now multiply this complexity as sentences
are constructed in rapid succession during normal speech.
Real time. Unlike an open-loop control system, a closed-loop control system monitors
feedback and corrects the process as the machine is running. The reciprocal path
between the control, the feedback sensors, and the process itself is instantaneous. That is,
information is not stored for later use. Rather, it is used instantaneously as the sensors
detect it. In this chapter, the term simultaneous is used to indicate real time feedback
during language instruction.
Calibration. In human speech, the mind must constantly monitor the feedback
information from both the speaker's own hearing and the proprioceptive senses so that the
mind can control muscles to create the desired sounds. Thus, the speaker is constantly
calibrating the feedback to control speech. To change a tense, the speaker may change
"run" to "ran," or change the person from "he" to "she," and so on. These word changes
are achieved by precise control of the muscles used to produce speech.
Thus, in Figure 4, human
speech is represented as the
interplay between the mind,
the mouth, and its related
organs (represented in the
figure by the tongue), two
feedback systems, and
conscious calibration as the
speaker constructs each
sentence. In addition,
calibration continuously
takes place within the
control center — the mind.
However, it acts on
feedback from hearing and
the proprioceptive senses,
so calibration is shown as acting on the source of the feedback.
When children learn their mother tongue (First Acquired Language or L1), their
natural ability to hear and mimic adult speech builds complex proprioceptive response
patterns. A French-speaking child effortlessly learns to make nasal sounds. An English-
speaking child learns to put his tongue between his teeth and make the "th" sound. A
Chinese-speaking child learns to mimic the important tones which change the meaning of
words. Each of these unique sounds requires learned muscle control within the mouth.
No apology is needed for the intricacy of this explanation. The neurological feedback
and resulting control of the muscles involved in speech is extremely complex. The mind
plays a far more important role than simply remembering vocabulary and organizing
words into meaningful sentences.
Chapter 1: The Proprioceptive Sense in Language Learning
4
Learning to Speak a Second Language
When a new language is being learned, all of its unique sounds and syntax must be
studied. This is not merely a memory function. Each of these new sounds and syntax
patterns requires retraining of the entire mind, proprioceptive feedback, and the auditory
feedback chain involved in speech.
Even syntax is dependent on the proprioceptive sense. The statement, "This is a
book," feels different to the nerve receptors in the mouth than the question, "Is this a
book?" We can certainly understand that memory is involved in using correct grammar.
Just as important, however, is the observation that proprioceptive feedback demands that
a question must evoke a different sequence of feedback than does a statement. This is
why partial syntax control has been identified in Table 1 as being a shared function of
both the mind (memory) and the mouth (as a proprioceptive sense).
If you doubt that the proprioceptive sense is an important part of speech, try this
experiment: Read a sentence or two of this article entirely in your mind without moving
your lips. You may even speed read it. Now read the same sentences silently by moving
your lips but making no sound. Your mind responds to the first as simple information
that is primarily a memory function. However, your mind will respond to the latter as
speech because of the proprioceptive feedback
from your mouth. The latter is not just
cognitive — your mind will respond to it as
speech that transcends mere mental activity.
Did you also notice a difference in your
mental intensity between the two readings?
The first would be the mental activity required
of a student doing a written grammar-based
assignment. The second would be the mental
activity required of a student studying a
language using spoken exercises. The
effectiveness of language learning is in direct
proportion to the student's mental involvement.
The best way to teach a second language
Two skill areas must be emphasized while
teaching an adult a new language. The first is
memory (which is involved in both
vocabulary and syntax) and the second is the
proprioceptive responses (which are involved
in both pronunciation and syntax).
Simple vocabulary-related memory skills
may probably be learned with equal
effectiveness by using either verbal or visual
training methods. That is, they may be
learned either by a spoken drill or a written
exercise.
Chapter 1: The Proprioceptive Sense in Language Learning
5
Learning to Speak a Second Language
However, it is impossible to train the important proprioceptive sense without involving
students' hearing and voices at full speaking volume. Thus, in my opinion, it is a waste
of the students' time to introduce written assignments for the purpose of teaching a
spoken language.
Surprisingly, it will take far less time for students to learn both fluent speech and
excellent grammar by perfecting only spoken language first, than it will to incorporate
written grammar instruction into the lessons before a moderate level of fluency is attained.
This does not mean, however, that grammar is not a necessary part of spoken language
instruction. It is impossible to speak a language without using its grammar correctly.
This statement simply means that the best way to learn a target language's grammar is
through spoken language exercises. See Chapter 4: Grammar and Writing in Spoken
Language Study.
Inasmuch as spoken language involves multiple cognitive, muscle, and neurological
components working cooperatively in real time, it is mandatory that effective spoken
language methods train students to use all of these components of speech simultaneously.
This is shown in Figure 5.
It is the important area of the proprioceptive sense that has been most overlooked in
current grammar-based teaching methodology. When any student over the age of 12 or
so attempts to learn a new language, his or her proprioceptive response patterns must be
consciously retrained in order to reproduce all of the new sounds and syntax of that
language.
Further, to
properly train
the
proprioceptive
sense of the
mouth, the
combined
feedback from
the mouth and
hearing must
be
simultaneously
processed in
the mind.
Simply said,
the student
must speak out
loud for
optimum
language
learning.
Chapter 1: The Proprioceptive Sense in Language Learning
6
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Without simultaneous involvement of all components of speech, it is impossible to
effectively retrain the students' proprioceptive senses to accommodate a new language.
Yet, this is exactly what grammar-based language instruction has traditionally done by
introducing grammar, listening, writing, and reading as segregated activities. It is not
surprising that it takes students in a grammar-based program a long time to learn to speak
their target language fluently.
Grammar-based instruction has hindered language learning by segregating individual
areas of study. This segregation is represented in Figure 6. Grammar-based language
training has not only isolated proprioceptive training areas so that it prevents
simultaneous skill development, but it has replaced it instead with visual memory training
through the use of written assignments. Grammar-based language instruction teaches the
target language as though spoken language was an open-loop system. In so doing,
gaining language fluency requires far more study time, pronunciation is often faulty, and
grammar becomes more difficult to learn.
Conclusion
Grammar-based language study traditionally teaches a spoken language as though
speech is primarily a function of memory. Consequently, grammar-based instruction has
emphasized non-verbal (written) studies of grammar, writing, reading, and listening. All
of these activities may increase recall memory for written examinations, but they have
little benefit in teaching a student to speak a new language.
The only way an adult can effectively learn a new spoken language is by using spoken
language as the method of instruction. All lessons should be verbal, with the student
speaking at full voice volume for the entire study period.
[1]
Some researchers view human speech as an open-loop system. However, it has been shown
that the human brain performs many functions using both open- and closed-loop control. As
suggested in this chapter, language learning speed would be improved by the use of spoken
language instruction irrespective of whether speech control is open- or closed-loop.
[2]
The terms Proprioceptive Method and Feedback Training Method may be used interchangeably
in describing this language learning method. An earlier term, Proprio-kinesthetic Method, was
also used for this same language program. Throughout this book, the term proprioceptive will be
used to describe the neurological process, while the language learning method will be called the
Feedback Training Method.
Chapter 1: The Proprioceptive Sense in Language Learning
7
Chapter 2: Focusing on the Target Language
Chapter summary: This chapter emphasizes the importance of selecting a suitable
language program on the basis of the student’s target audience. Since this can be more
easily demonstrated with an English language illustration, the example in this chapter
will describe how an international student might choose an English study program.
You may be tempted to select a language course simply because the name of your
target language is in the course title. However, if you plan to supplement an existing
language course in which you will be enrolled, or if, by necessity, you will be forced
to develop your own course of study, you will need to carefully design your program
to ensure that your target language will be the same language form used by those with
whom you will be communicating.
At the end of the chapter there is a closing comment regarding beginning,
intermediate, and advanced language levels.
t would be impossible to say that any spoken language has a neatly defined vocabulary
and syntax, or that it can be fully taught through a single language training program.
Let's illustrate that with the following example:
I
Maria, a Bolivian national, wants to complete her undergraduate studies at a university
in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Then she plans to enter the civil engineering program at the
University of Texas because she wants to work in flood control in Bolivia. In order to
succeed, she will need to achieve fluency in the following six English forms:
1. Legal and technical English. Maria will need to be able to read and write legal
and technical English in order to submit her university application, immigration
forms, and financial paperwork. In addition, she will also need to use this English
form as spoken language when such things as textbook glossary terms and
engineering legal matters are discussed in classes. This English form will use
specialized — and often unfamiliar — vocabulary.
2. Grammatically complete written English. Almost all of Maria's textbooks will
use this English form in which complete sentences containing a full complement
of all necessary parts of speech are used. Coincidentally, vocabulary will often
consist of precise terms used in a specific field such as engineering, law, finance,
etc. Most of her need for this English form will be in reading, though it will
occasionally be used in speech.
3. Grammatically complete spoken English. Many of her instructors will often
use grammatically complete spoken English during their class or lab presentations.
Local newspapers will also use this English form in written format even though it
will be on the reading level of the general populace. The newspaper will use a
Learning to Speak a Second Language
simpler vocabulary and less complex sentence structure than more technical
publications might.
[1]
For our purposes, the term grammatically complete English
means that sentences contain all necessary parts of speech, while conversational
English means that sentences sometimes employ understood (but unspoken) parts
of speech.
4. Conversational spoken English. Maria will need to master the English used by
the ordinary people on the street in her American university city. She will also
need to communicate with fellow students using conversational English common
to her own age group. In English — and probably most languages —
conversational spoken language often abbreviates sentences and alters vocabulary.
When properly used, conversational English is grammatically correct English, but
it is not always grammatically complete English.
5. Slang, ethnic, and vulgar English. Maria will most likely watch American
movies and television and will be involved in social contexts where unique
vocabulary and sentence structure will be used. Whether or not she chooses to
incorporate these terms into her own speech, she will need to learn the vocabulary
in order to avoid the risk of using socially inappropriate language.
6. Regional pronunciation and vocabulary. Though she will need to be familiar
with standard American broadcasting English as it is used in national news
casting, national media, and cinema productions, Maria will also need to be able
to mimic the accent and vocabulary used at the University of Texas.
Assuming that Maria is able to fulfill her goal of completing an advanced degree at the
University of Texas, by the time she graduates she will most likely have learned to
adequately communicate in the six English forms listed above. But an important decision
she will need to make while she is still a student in Santa Cruz is which of these six
English forms she should begin studying first.
Selecting a precise language for study
Before going further, a point of reference needs to be developed that will aid a student
like Maria in selecting her language study program. As already discussed, there are six
English forms that she must choose between. She needs to choose wisely at this point in
order to avoid wasting time in her English study. Students using the Spoken English
Learned Quickly course have commented that they have studied English for a number of
years without learning the technical English vocabulary they needed to enter their chosen
field of study or employment. Others have said that their poor pronunciation has been a
hindrance to their employment opportunities. These students spent years in "English"
study, but it was not tailored to fit their future need.
The question Maria or any other language student must ask is, "What language do the
people with whom I will be communicating speak?" A simplistic answer like "Polish," or
"Chichewa," or "English" is inadequate.
We propose the following terminology:
Chapter 2: Focusing on the Target Language
9
Learning to Speak a Second Language
1. The term target language in its customary sense will indicate the language that
will be learned.
2. The term target language group — and a synonym needed for comparative
purposes, general target language group
[2]
— are loosely defined terms that
simply identify those who speak a particular language. This group will typically
be spread over a wide geographical area with members having dissimilar socio-
economic status. Nonetheless, speakers within this group will use syntax and
pronunciation that is understood by all others in the same target group when the
speaker is using non-regional or non-technical vocabulary.
3. The term general target language group will then be contrasted with a new term
specific target language group. It is this second term that has the precise meaning
we want. A specific target language group will more likely be in a particular
geographical location, and will, because of the similar socio-economic status of
its members, use vocabulary, syntax, and pronunciation that is generally common
to all in that group.
We could classify all Americans who speak fluent English as being included in a single
general target language group because, in spite of regional differences in dialect and
vocabulary, they can readily communicate with each other. It is the specific target
language group that is important to Maria because she will need to learn an English form
that will allow her to communicate with instructors and Texas-raised students in the
Engineering Department at the University of Texas.
We strongly encourage you to gain as much information as possible about the specific
target language group with which you will be communicating. Carefully plan your
language learning program so that the pronunciation and vocabulary you learn will be
useful to you. This may save you a great deal of wasted effort.
Maria's choice
A first observation can now be made. Maria will need to learn the same English which
is spoken by her future classmates in the University of Texas Engineering Department.
The majority of her American fellow students will be able to correctly use the six English
forms above as they have been described. Many writers in the field of English-as-a-
world-language make a distinction between forms of English which are grammatically
complete, written, conversational, slang, and the like — often identifying them as
separate kinds of English. We will simply state, however, that the language we are
defining as the target language for any language student is the one spoken in a single
location by the specific group of people with whom the student will be communicating.
In Maria's case, that will be the English that her future fellow students in Texas will use
both inside and outside of the classroom, whether talking to each other, listening to an
instructor’s lecture, buying a hamburger at McDonald's, taking an exam, watching a
movie or television, or reading an assignment. This will be the specific target language
group she will want to communicate with. On the other hand, there will be other groups
of people living in her university city who will use English speech which Maria may not
need to learn.
Chapter 2: Focusing on the Target Language
10
Learning to Speak a Second Language
What has been said so far actually simplifies Maria's choice. Even though she will
eventually want to gain fluency in each of these six English forms, they are now defined
for her. For now, she must only decide on which of the above six English forms to focus
as she begins her study.
There is a surprisingly simple second suggestion we can make. Because of her three
years of grammar-based English classes in Bolivia, her ability to read and write English
far exceeds her ability to speak it. Therefore, she should try to find an English course
which would include a strong foundation in grammatically complete spoken English
(English form 3), but which would also include a mix of colloquial conversational spoken
English (English form 4). The accent used in this ideal language course for Maria would
be Texan.
However, it is highly unlikely that Maria would be able to find an English course that
would fit her need this precisely. The closest thing she might be able to find would be a
course that would use grammatically complete spoken English with American national
broadcast pronunciation.
Because the Spoken English Learned Quickly language course
www.FreeEnglishNow.com was developed for university students and young
professionals, it uses grammatically complete spoken English along with some colloquial
conversational spoken English. Furthermore, the audio recordings provide the option of
either American or British national broadcast accents. We feel that this level of English
syntax and vocabulary will best serve the needs of most of our students. It will also allow
them to acquire with the least amount of difficulty the other English forms of spoken
English that are not included in the Spoken English Learned Quickly lessons. We clearly
understand, however, that there is no universal spoken English, so there can be no single
English course that can be used to simultaneously teach all of the worldwide varieties of
English. We are certainly not saying that there is only one kind of English that is used
worldwide.
As you consider the target language you want to learn, you will need to evaluate the
materials and courses that are available to you. You will need to decide how you can best
use them to reach your fluency goals. You will need to focus on a language study
program that will teach you to fluently speak the language that is spoken in a single
location by the specific group of people with whom you wish to communicate.
Where to start
Finally, you will need to begin your language study by using some kind of vocabulary
and sentences. We strongly suggest that you not look for a beginning level of language
but that as quickly as possible you begin by using simple sentences and vocabulary in the
everyday language of your specific target language group. You will want to begin your
language study using the same sentences that you will want to perfect as you become
fluent.
This topic will be covered fully in Chapter 5: Do You Need Both Beginning and
Advanced Lessons?
Chapter 2: Focusing on the Target Language
11
Learning to Speak a Second Language
[1]
If technical newspapers such as financial and business publications are excluded, this probably
pertains to newspapers in the United States more than it does to those in countries that have both
literary and common language newspapers. This will be discussed more completely in Chapter 6:
Selecting a Text.
[2]
The term target language group is commonly used in scholarly literature. On the other hand,
neither general target language group nor specific target language group appear to be used.
However, the term specific target language group is not restrictive, inasmuch as a single
language speaker may be a member of several specific target language groups. For example, an
engineering professor at the University of Texas may also be a lay synagogue treasurer. He
would certainly share common vocabulary and syntax with a second specific target language
group in his synagogue that was quite different from the one he shared with fellow University of
Texas instructors.
Chapter 2: Focusing on the Target Language
12
Chapter 3: Four Rules for Learning a Spoken Language
Chapter summary: This chapter explains four rules which must be followed in order
to learn a new spoken language. The emphasis is on spoken language and retraining
the language learner's proprioceptive sense.
The chapter concludes with a brief discussion and application of the fourth rule
which states, "You must never make a mistake when you are speaking."
here are four simple rules to follow when learning a second language:
T
1. To learn to speak the language correctly, you must speak it aloud.
It is important that you speak loudly and clearly when you are learning your
target language. You must always use spoken exercises. You are retraining your
mind to respond to a new pattern of proprioceptive and auditory stimuli. This can
only be done when you are speaking aloud at full volume.
One of the reasons that traditional language study methods require so much
time to produce results is that silent study does nothing to train the proprioceptive
sense.
2. To learn to speak a language fluently, you must think in that language.
The proprioceptive sense is not all you are retraining when you learn a new
language. There is cognitive learning which must also take place. Traditional
language teaching has emphasized cognitive learning to the exclusion of
retraining the proprioceptive sense. Nonetheless, cognitive learning is an
important part of the language process.
For speech to occur, the mind must be actively involved in syntax development.
The more actively the mind is involved, the more effective the learning process
becomes.
However, just as you will short-circuit proprioceptive training by silent study,
so you will also limit cognitive learning if you simply read from a text rather than
constructing the syntax yourself. You must force your mind to think in the target
language by using your recall memory when you are studying spoken exercises.
This will be discussed again in Chapter 6: Selecting a Text, because there will
be times when reading from a text such as a newspaper is an effective language
learning tool. But when you are doing sentence responses using recorded
exercises, you must force your mind to develop the syntax by doing the exercise
without reading from a text.
Learning to Speak a Second Language
You are not thinking in your target language if you are reading a text. Making
your mind work to create the answer is an important part of learning to speak a
new language.
3. The more you speak the language aloud, the more quickly you will learn to speak
fluently.
Proprioceptive retraining is not instantaneous. It will require much repetition to
build the new patterns in your mind. As these new patterns develop, there will be
progression from a laborious, conscious effort, to speech which is reproduced
rapidly and unconsciously.
When any of us speak our first language, we do so with no conscious
awareness of tongue or mouth position and the air flow through the vocal cords.
In contrast, when we first attempt to make an unknown discrete sound — called a
phoneme — in another language, it requires experimentation and conscious effort.
Some new sounds are relatively simple. Others are more difficult. A good nasal
French "on" in bonjour will require some careful practice for the English-speaker,
but it is within reach. The six tones in Cantonese Chinese will be extremely
difficult for the same English-speaker, and will undoubtedly require an immense
amount of repetition in order to perfect their use.
To add to the complexity, each phoneme has other phonemes or stops adjacent
to it which change its sound slightly. (A stop is a break in the air flow.) The nasal
"on" in "bonjour" is slightly different from the "on" in "mon frere." The objective
is not to be able to write the letters representing the phoneme in the target
language. The goal is not even to be able to say it with reasonable accuracy. The
objective for the English-speaker learning French is to be able to say, "Bonjour,
mon frere," so perfectly that a Frenchman would think he had just been greeted by
a compatriot.
That degree of perfection will require thousands — if not tens of thousands —
of repetitions. Therefore — to be somewhat facetious — the more quickly you
correctly repeat a particularly difficult phoneme ten thousand times, the more
quickly you will be able to use it fluently. That is what is meant by the statement,
"The more you speak the language aloud, the more quickly you will learn to speak
fluently."
4. You must never make a mistake when you are speaking.
When you are learning a language using this Feedback Training Method, you
are strongly reinforcing the learning process each time you speak. However,
when you construct a sentence incorrectly, you have not only wasted the learning
time used to construct your faulty sentence, but you must now invest even more
time retraining your mind, mouth, and hearing so you can construct the sentence
correctly. The more you use a sentence structure incorrectly, the longer it will
take for your mind, mouth, and hearing to identify the correct syntax.
Chapter 3: Four Rules for Learning a Spoken Language
14
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Ideally, if you used only correct syntax and pronunciation, you could retrain
your speech in considerably less time. Consequently, you could learn to speak the
target language more quickly.
Yet before you roll your eyes and declare this to be impossible, let's look at a
way in which it could actually be done. (Well, almost!)
Traditional language study
Traditional language study attempts to engage students in free speech as quickly as
possible. Though the goal is commendable, in practice it has a serious drawback. A
beginning student does not have enough language experience to be able to construct
sentences properly. More to the point, the instruction program seldom has enough
personnel to be able to work with individual students so as to help them correct their
errors. Consequently, beginning students regularly use incorrect sentences having
improper syntax and verb construction. The instructor often praises them for their valiant
effort, despite the reality that they are learning to use the language incorrectly. The
student will now need to spend even more time relearning the correct syntax.
Controlled language study
The better alternative is to derive all initial spoken language study from audio recorded
(or written) materials that contain perfect syntax, perfect use of the verb, and perfect
pronunciation. This sounds restrictive, but, in fact, it could be done relatively easily.
Say, for example, that during the first four weeks of instruction, beginning students
worked only from recorded exercises. They would repeat the recorded lesson material
that was accurate in every respect. As an alternative, they could read aloud from a
written text. The disadvantage of the text, however, would be that the mind would be
considerably less active, and a pronunciation model would be absent. For the entire
instruction period, each student would work independently while repeating the exercise
lessons.
Needless to say, in four weeks' time, the students would have spoken the new language
correctly far more than had they been somewhat passively sitting in a traditional language
class. But more to the point, everything the students would have learned would have
been correct. Their syntax would have been correct. Their use of verbs would have been
correct. And, as much as possible, their pronunciation would have been correct.
To continue the example, say that it was now time for the students to begin venturing
into free speech. Yet mistakes must still be avoided. Consequently, all free speaking
would be based upon the many sentences they would have already learned. Questions
would be asked that the students could answer in the exact words of the sentences they
would have studied. Subsequently, they would be given questions to answer that would
use the same structure as the sentences they already knew, but now they would substitute
other vocabulary that would be in the same lessons.
Chapter 3: Four Rules for Learning a Spoken Language
15
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Making the application
The assumption in this book is that you are a college student or a young professional
and that you are highly motivated to learn your target language.
The above illustration was not given to suggest that you should be treated like a high
school freshman, forced to sit at a desk by yourself, repeating sentences in Japanese,
Swahili, or Gujarati. Nonetheless, you should be able to see what is being said. As you
read through this book, you will see the repeated suggestion that you take a high degree
of control of your language learning, irrespective of whether you are in an established
language school or developing your own language study program. You will do much
better if you seek out ways in which you can speak the language correctly from the very
start. Strike a careful balance between venturing out into the unknown and forcing
yourself to follow a pattern of correct language use. Do everything in your power to use
the language correctly.
In the early weeks of language study, this may require that you spend more time
reading simple material aloud than in trying to engage in free speech. Later, however,
you will need to spend a great deal of time talking with others.
Nonetheless, every time you encounter new syntax in your target language, use
controlled language drills long enough that your mind becomes thoroughly familiar with
it. As you progress in the language, searching a newspaper article for examples of the
new sentence format can reinforce correct syntax. Mark the sentences, verify the
vocabulary, and then read — and repeat from recall memory — the sentences aloud until
they become a natural part of your speech.
Chapter 3: Four Rules for Learning a Spoken Language
16
Chapter 4: Grammar and Writing in Spoken Language Study
Chapter summary: Language is unintelligible without grammar because grammar
consists of the rules used to string words together into units that convey meaning. The
issue is not whether a student learning a second language needs to know grammar or
not. The question is, "How is grammar best taught?"
My personal experience
I had the great advantage of growing up in a home in which grammatically correct
English was spoken. As I progressed through grade school and on into high school, my
language ability matured as a result of my home and school environments.
In retrospect, I believe that this is what happened: For the most part, I used proper
sentence structure and pronunciation because that is what I heard in my home. However,
when I went to school, I needed to learn grammar in school in order to reinforce my
knowledge of my own language. I — like probably most of my classmates — did not
learn to speak by studying grammar. Rather, I was able to learn how to do grammar
exercises because I already knew how to speak.
Certainly, I learned many important things about my language through grammar study.
But it was of importance to me only because I had already achieved basic English fluency.
I did not learn to speak English as a result of English grammar lessons.
In contrast, I also took two years of Spanish in high school. We started with basic
grammar. We wrote exercises almost every day. But we almost never heard spoken
Spanish, and had even less opportunity to try to speak it ourselves. (Language instruction
in the United States has changed considerably since I was in high school.) After high
school graduation, I could neither speak Spanish, nor did I understand Spanish grammar.
In my mid-twenties, I spent a year in Paris studying French. I had the great fortune of
enrolling in a French language school that emphasized spoken French to the complete
exclusion of written exercises. Not only did I learn French grammar — meaning that I
learned to use sentences that communicated what I intended to say to a French listener —
but, interestingly enough, because verb construction is similar in both French and Spanish,
I also began to understand the Spanish grammar which had made no sense to me in high
school. Because I could read and write in English, I had no difficulty reading French. It
was a simple transfer of knowledge from reading in English to reading in French.
Later, I studied another language in Africa. Because school-based language courses
were almost non-existent in that country, all of my language training was done by way of
recorded language drills that I adapted from local radio broadcasts. I also had a
university student as my language helper. Yet I learned how to structure a sentence in
that language — which is applied grammar — and how to write much more quickly than
had I been studying grammar and writing independently of the spoken language.
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Traditional language instruction
Traditional language instruction has reversed the process with poor results. Most
second language classes teach grammar as a foundation for spoken language.
The quickest way to teach students to read a new language is to teach them to speak it
first. The fastest way to teach them sufficient grammar to pass college entrance exams is
to build a foundation by teaching them to speak the language fluently. Then as they build
on that foundation, they will understand the target language's grammar. Finally, it is
almost impossible to teach non-speaking students how to write well before they have
mastered the basic spoken language. Whenever the process is reversed, it takes a
needlessly long time to succeed in teaching grammar and writing skills, much less spoken
language fluency.
Do not misunderstand. One cannot speak any language — fluently or otherwise —
without using the grammar of that language. That is true because grammar consists of
the rules used in that language to string words together as units to convey meaning. (In
English we call these units sentences or paragraphs.) In English, we can use a given
number of words to make a statement or ask a question by the way in which we order the
words and use inflection. Simply stated, placing the words in the correct order is applied
grammar.
The issue is not whether or not students learning a new language need to know
grammar. Language is unintelligible without it. The question is, "How is grammar best
taught?"
The best time to study grammar
Chapter 1 explained that effective spoken language instruction simultaneously trains
all of the cognitive and sensory centers of speech. To again resort to an English example,
when is the best time to introduce the grammar rule that the sentence, "That is a book," is
an English statement, and "Is that a book?" is an English question? The best time is when
students simultaneously learn to speak these two sentences, inverting word order to
change a statement to a question. That would take place while they are learning many
other similar sentences so that they develop a cognitive sense reinforced by motor skill
and auditory feedback that the order and inflection of the one sentence is a question,
while the other is a statement. The sound of the sentence is as much an indicator of its
meaning as its written form. Right? Right!
There is also a relationship between good pronunciation and good spelling. I am a
poor speller. I understand that I misspell many words because I mispronounce them. At
some point, everyone who expects to write a target language well must learn its spelling.
Yet, it will probably be faster for a student to learn good spelling after learning good
speech habits than it will be for the same student to learn good spelling without being
able to speak. In practice, in a spoken language course, students should learn the spelling
of new words as they are added to the vocabulary of each new lesson.
This is not to say that grammar and spelling are unnecessary for the new language
learner. Rather, what is being said is that grammar can be taught more effectively — and
in less time — by using audio language drills. Teaching grammar by means of spoken
Chapter 4:
Grammar and Writing in Spoken Language Study
18
Learning to Speak a Second Language
language has the great advantage of reinforcing the cognitive learning of grammar while
using two additional functions found in normal speech — motor skill feedback and
auditory feedback. Teaching grammar as a written exercise does develop cognitive
learning, but it reinforces it with visual feedback.
Though visual feedback through reading and writing has some merit, it is outside the
context of spoken language. Reinforcement through visual feedback outside of the
spoken language context is far less effective than motor skill feedback and auditory
feedback that are both inside the spoken language context. The trade-off in gaining
visual feedback at the loss of motor skill and auditory feedback is costly and retards
progress. Far more is gained when the student identifies correct grammar by the way a
sentence sounds, rather than by the way it looks. Though it would not typically be
explained this way, it is also important on a subconscious level that the student learns
how correct grammar feels. As a function of the proprioceptive sense, a statement
produces a certain sequence of sensory feedback from the mouth, tongue, and air
passages that feels different than a question. A speech pathologist working with
children's speech problems will pay a great deal of attention to this part of speech during
retraining.
It would take considerably longer to teach a language student how to manipulate the
grammar of the new language and then speak that language correctly than it would to
teach the same student to first speak the language correctly and then introduce rules of
grammar. This gain would be greatly augmented, however, if the rules of grammar were
incorporated into the spoken language lessons themselves.
A year spent exclusively in spoken language study will produce a marked degree of
fluency. With that language fluency, the student will gain a functional understanding of
the grammar of the target language. The same amount of time spent in grammar study
will produce limited fluency and little practical understanding of that language's grammar.
Grammar study in your own language program
How you approach grammar study in your target language will depend on the language
program you are using.
If you are enrolled in an established school program with written grammar assignments,
you will obviously need to complete them just like every other student in the class.
However, as you will see in Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work, on
your own time you can then use the completed (and corrected) written exercises as
spoken language drills. If you focus more on using your grammar exercises as spoken
language drills rather than simply as written assignments, you will find that your ability
in your target language's grammar will increase much more rapidly. Of course, this will
add time to your study schedule, but it will undoubtedly result in considerably higher
exam scores. In Chapter 8, you will also see an important caution regarding correct
pronunciation when you are reading grammar assignments as spoken exercises.
As also explained in Chapter 8, if you design your own language course with a
language helper, you can have much greater freedom in the way you study grammar. In
that case, you will try to incorporate your grammar lessons into your spoken drills.
Chapter 4:
Grammar and Writing in Spoken Language Study
19
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Nonetheless, there will be times when you will ask your language helper for
clarifications regarding grammar. For example, to again use an illustration from English,
during the first week of lessons you would encounter the two articles "a" and "an." If
your language helper explained that "a" is used before a word beginning with a consonant,
and "an" is used before a word beginning with a vowel, it would certainly be a
grammatical explanation. With that knowledge, however, you could then ask your
language helper to record an exercise with both "a" and "an" sentences. Your grammar
study on "a" and "an" would then be done with a spoken exercise rather than a written
assignment.
[1]
International students struggling to learn English will often say that they want more
grammar lessons. But that is not what they are really asking for. Many undoubtedly
have a large vocabulary from studying written grammar for years. They do not need
more grammar rules to memorize — they need spoken language exercises that will teach
them to organize the vocabulary they already know into fluent, spoken English sentences.
Irrespective of the kind of language learning program you are in, the primary emphasis
of this closing section is to encourage you to study grammar by using spoken exercises
rather than written assignments.
[1]
The reason English usually uses the article “an” before a word beginning with a vowel is not
because it was initially required by a rule of grammar. The consonant “n” is placed between two
vowels in order to create a syllable in the spoken language which bridges two vowel sounds. We
never say, “a apple,” because it would require a stop in the air flow between the vowels. In
spoken language, a full syllable—“an” in this case—is far more efficient than inserting a stop. It
is more efficient to say “an English lesson” than it is to say “a English lesson.” Complexity then
builds. A rule of grammar is subsequently needed to explain why the sentences, “Both a ewe and
a ram were in the field,” and “I sent him an MP3 disc,” are correct. Thus, it was the need for
efficiency in spoken English that produced this rule of grammar, it was not the grammar rule
which produced the article “an.” (As a note, two vowels may form a diphthong—such as “oi” in
boil—in which there is a glide between two distinct vowel sounds. Or, two vowels together may
simply produce a single long vowel sound as in choose or loose.)
Chapter 4:
Grammar and Writing in Spoken Language Study
20
Chapter 5: Do You Need Both Beginning and Advanced Lessons?
Chapter summary: Without first evaluating the unique qualities of languages as a
whole, it is routinely assumed that language study must be divided into beginning,
intermediate, and advanced levels. However, by using English as an example of
spoken language, a careful assessment indicates that multiple levels of language
complexity do not necessarily exist.
In effective English study, beginning students must use the same kinds of sentences
that advanced students must continue to practice in order to speak fluently. Beginning
students must learn English in the context of full sentences. Advanced students must
use the same sentences to perfect syntax and intonation.
In some other languages, there may be exceptions in forms of speech such as those
used at funerals, weddings, when addressing high-ranking officials, and the like. Even
then, the common language of normal conversation will follow the suggestions given
in this chapter.
Saying that beginning students must use the same kinds of sentences that advanced
students must continue to practice in order to speak fluently pertains to members
within the same specific target language group.
This is not saying, however, that there is only one kind of English that is used
worldwide. There are many variations of spoken English in its regional, ethnic, and
formal use. Nor is this denying that English has both basic and advanced vocabularies
and varying complexities of grammatical constructions
The same would be true of almost any language one might study.
our perceived needs as you begin studying your target language will significantly
influence how you answer this chapter's title question. If you decide that you need
beginning lessons when you start your language study — meaning a simplified form
of the language — you will expend much time looking for such a program. You will find
that your target language does not have a beginner's level of language. On the other hand,
if you decide that the language of the daily newspaper
[1]
is what you want to learn, you
will find that language all around you.
Y
You will certainly need to begin on a rudimentary level. But the simple sentences and
vocabulary you will use should, nonetheless, be sentences and words you would hear in
daily conversation.
All target languages are different in structure, and can't be analyzed individually in this
book. Therefore, let's use English as an example and try to analyze this same question
from the perspective of a non-English speaker who is trying to learn English. You should
then be able to apply this information to your own needs as you learn another language.
Learning to Speak a Second Language
The need for beginning and advanced lessons in English
Can both beginning and advanced students in our target group of university students
and young professionals use the same level of lessons to learn spoken English? Before
you give an intuitive answer, let's ask the question another way: "Does English have
multiple, specialized language divisions?"
The answer is, "No, it does not." There is no high English language spoken by the
gentry versus a low language spoken by commoners. Historically, many languages such
as Greek and Chinese, to mention only two, have indeed had multiple divisions of
language used within the same society.
[2]
Modern English, however, does not even have a specialized construction for folklore.
Many languages in which oral tradition has been preserved have a storytelling form of the
language that is distinct from everyday conversation. In these language groups, there are
often specialists who recount the folklore in public gatherings. Common English has
none of that. Though Ebonics — and more recently Rap — are sub-classes of English
that would not be broadly understood, all English-speakers within that general target
language group understand everyday English.
[3]
In fact, English is so simple in regard to multiple divisions of speech that we do not
even have two forms of address for people of different social standing. French, for
instance, has strict conventions regarding the use of "tu" or "vous" when addressing
another person. A U.S. citizen, however, would address both a person of higher social
standing and a young child as "you."
English has a wide spectrum of language variances including regional accents and
dialects. It also has many specialized vocabularies. Any student who has taken courses
in anatomy, law, physics, automotive technology, psychology, engineering, geology, or
anthropology has spent a great deal of time learning specialized terminology.
Nonetheless, the essential English syntax that holds even these specialized words together
in a sentence is still the language of common speech — or the language of the daily
newspaper.
[4]
So, aside from specialized vocabularies, English has no divisions representing
increasing levels of language complexity.
The exception to the above paragraph would be found in technical documents such as
legal briefs, real estate transactions, and the like. However, this style of English is far
removed from the language used in normal conversation.
For any one target language group, there is only one kind of English that needs to be
learned. A student will not need two — or more — different course levels. This is not to
say that English is a simple language to learn. Far from it. Strange grammatical
constructions, abstract concepts, idioms, and literary language can prove to be difficult
for anyone. However, the same complexity is found in all spoken English, not merely in
some higher level.
Why have traditional language programs insisted that there must be beginning,
intermediate, and advanced levels of English study? It is not because there are beginning
and advanced levels of spoken English. It is because there are beginning, intermediate,
and advanced explanations for English grammar. This means that some rules of English
Chapter 5: Do You Need Both Beginning and Advanced Lessons?
22
Learning to Speak a Second Language
grammar are easy to explain. Some rules of grammar are more difficult to explain. And
some are complex enough to require a highly technical explanation. But spoken English
is one subject of study, whereas the formal rules of English grammar are quite another.
A second perspective
Let's ask our question again. "Do international English students need both beginning
and advanced English lessons in order to learn the language?" No they don't. There is
only one level of spoken English. Beginning students must start by speaking normal
English sentences. Advanced students must continue until they are able to fluently
pronounce the words in those same normal English sentences.
There will be a great difference in the levels of fluency between beginning and
advanced students, and as such, it may be entirely appropriate to group students
accordingly. But there is no difference in the level of English sentences they must study.
They must both use the same English sentences to initiate — and then to master — the
process that will develop the necessary cognitive, motor, and auditory skills used to speak
English fluently.
Let's clarify a potential area of confusion. English grammar lists simple sentences
(sentences with one main clause), compound sentences (sentences with two or more
main clauses), complex sentences (sentences with one main clause and at least one
subordinate clause), and compound-complex sentences (sentences made up of two or
more main clauses and at least one subordinate clause). An example of a compound-
complex sentence would be, "The Saturday afternoon program was like a two-ring circus;
while one part of the TV screen carried the professional football game, the other part
showed scores from collegiate games." Of course, this is not a sentence we would expect
beginning English students to use. However, the language itself is not what makes the
sentence complex. It is grammatically defined as a complex sentence simply because of
its grammatical construction. With very little change, the sentence could become three
simple sentences: "The Saturday afternoon program was like a two-ring circus. One part
of the TV screen showed the professional football game. The other part of the TV screen
showed scores from collegiate games." Aside from vocabulary, any one of these three
sentences is a beginning level sentence.
Thus, when we say that there is no difference in the level of English sentences a
beginning and advanced student must study, we are not talking about a grammar
definition. We are saying that there is not one language that would be used by
commoners and another that would be used by an upper class. Even though the example
sentence about the TV's split screen is not a sentence that we would want to include in the
first lesson, it does not represent multiple, specialized language divisions.
Finally, however, if beginning students stumble across something equivalent to an
English compound-complex sentence in a newspaper, they could skip it for the present
time and focus on the sentences they are able to use.
Appendix A: Introductory Lesson was included to illustrate the first lesson a non-
English speaking student will encounter in the Spoken English Learned Quickly course.
As you look at Appendix A, you will see that even though only simple sentences cast in
Chapter 5: Do You Need Both Beginning and Advanced Lessons?
23
Learning to Speak a Second Language
the present tense are used, they are, nonetheless, complete sentences. The first lesson in
this course requires that non-English speaking students start their language learning
experience with complete sentences used in everyday speech.
Making this model fit your own language study
Up to this point, the attempt has only been made to show that so-called beginning and
advanced sentences are unnecessary in an English language program. You will likely
discover very little in your target language that would require two levels of language
study any more than would be required in English.
You will need to learn normal greetings and salutations when you begin your target
language study. You will want to learn how to ask basic directions, how to find a store or
office, what bus to take, or how to make change. Yet, all of the vocabulary and phrases
you will use are a part of everyday language used by everyone, not just beginners.
Therefore, you should understand that the spoken language you want to learn is not
divided into levels. Throughout the entire time you will be learning your target language,
you will essentially be adding vocabulary and new syntax to a single level of language
complexity.
If you understand this concept, it will help you immensely. Your task is not to learn a
beginning language, progress to an intermediate language, and finally pass an exam on
the advanced language before you can finally begin talking to real people. Your task is to
immediately begin speaking your target language even though you may use short, simple
sentences and limited vocabulary. Language learning is a continuum. Everything you
learn to say correctly in your first week of language study should be just as useful in
normal conversation as the things you will learn later as you become more fluent.
There may be exceptions
Your target language may use specialized language for folklore, proverbs, weddings,
funerals, and when addressing individuals from a higher class of society. If that is the
case, you will need to learn those forms at some point if you aspire to that level of
fluency. Nonetheless, most of those specialized forms (excepting possibly those used
when addressing someone from a higher class of society) will be used very infrequently
in daily conversation.
[5]
Designing the early lessons
A language course using the Feedback Training Method would normally begin with at
least one introductory lesson for students who are just beginning their study of a new
language. The first lesson would use simple sentences, a limited vocabulary, and
restricted verb tenses. The first Spoken English Learned Quickly lesson uses complete
sentences that are limited to the present tense. However, beginning with Lesson 2, all
lessons use verbs in past, present, and future tenses, and newspaper-quality sentences.
Chapter 5: Do You Need Both Beginning and Advanced Lessons?
24
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Nonetheless, even though this course uses normal — though simple — everyday
English sentences in the early lessons, there is another way in which the audio portion of
the course accommodates the student who has no previous knowledge of English. This is
demonstrated more easily than explained. This example comes from the text exercise in
Appendix B. The narrator records the phrase outside of the ellipses ( . . . ). The student
then repeats this phrase during the pause.
Audio recordings for the first few lessons would be structured like this:
A long time ago, (A long time ago,) there was a wise man (there was a wise
man) living in a mountain country. (living in a mountain country.) A long time
ago, there was a wise man living in a mountain country. (A long time ago, there
was a wise man living in a mountain country.) The country was beautiful. (The
country was beautiful.) But it was always difficult (But it was always difficult) to
find enough food. (to find enough food.) But it was always difficult to find
enough food. (But it was always difficult to find enough food.)
Audio recordings for later lessons would use longer phrases like this:
A long time ago, there was a wise man living in a mountain country. (A long
time ago, there was a wise man living in a mountain country.) The country was
beautiful. (The country was beautiful.) But it was always difficult to find enough
food. (But it was always difficult to find enough food.)
The variation, therefore, is not in the complexity of the sentence itself, but in the length
of the segments used to build the sentence. Thus, a beginning student with no prior
knowledge of the target language and a student who has gained considerably greater
fluency may use the same kinds of sentences. The structure of the audio exercises will
take into account these varying levels of fluency, though in later lessons the student will
be forced to manipulate the language to a far greater degree. Though the beginning
student will spend more time learning the proper pronunciation of each sentence, and the
more advanced student will spend more time substituting tenses and component parts of
the exercise sentences, the end result is that both the beginning and advanced student will
be speaking the same language that is used in normal conversation.
But it's too difficult to start with normal speech
Not really. Once you understand the greetings and salutations, you are ready to begin
practicing with normal sentences. Say, for instance, that you are reading a newspaper
article as you study. Aside from the sentences that contain specialized vocabulary, most
sentences will use common verbs and syntax construction. This is the language you want
to speak. Use it from the very start of your language study.
This will be explained more fully in Chapter 7: Studying the Verb and Chapter 8:
Making the Feedback Training Method Work.
Therefore, you can be assured that the spoken language you want to learn is everyday
language. It will reduce stress if you realize that, in the very first week of language study,
you are learning normal speech. By and large, the language will never become any more
Chapter 5: Do You Need Both Beginning and Advanced Lessons?
25
Learning to Speak a Second Language
difficult than it is when you first begin because you will be studying normal spoken
language throughout your formal study.
[1]
Many countries publish both literary and common language newspapers. In this book, common
language newspapers will always be referred to for the purpose of spoken language study.
[2]
Classical Greek during the early Roman Empire, was used as a literary language, while Koine
Greek was used among the masses. Until the 20
th
century, the Mandarin class in China
distinguished themselves from the commoners by their knowledge of language, based on their
success in completing a rigorous examination.
[3]
The concept of a target language group was introduced in Chapter 2. This was further divided
into a general and a specific target language group. A general target language group will
typically be spread over a wider geographical area and will consist of dissimilar socio-economic
levels. Nonetheless, each speaker within this group will use non-technical vocabulary, syntax,
and pronunciation that is easily understood by all others in the same group. A specific target
language group will more likely be found in a specific geographical location, and will, because of
their similar socio-economic level, use vocabulary, syntax, and pronunciation generally common
to all in that group. All fluent English-speaking Americans were classified as being in a single
general target language group, and the Texas-raised students in the Engineering Department at
the University of Texas were classified as being in a specific target language group.
[4]
Again, this would be true only of common language newspapers rather than literary newspapers.
[5]
Because American English speakers often use less formal language, Americans undoubtedly
frequently offend their target language audience because they have not bothered to learn proper
protocol for addressing those of higher rank.
Chapter 5: Do You Need Both Beginning and Advanced Lessons?
26
Chapter 6: Selecting a Text
Chapter summary: For spoken language study, you will need both a written text and
an audio recording of that text. Making an audio recording by using a newspaper text
will be easier than transcribing a radio program to use as a written text.
A newspaper article becomes an excellent text for language study.
his chapter will use the term text to identify a written manuscript. A newspaper in
your target language is usually an excellent source for a study text. Most newspapers
use good syntax, relatively simple sentences, and common expressions. In addition
to general vocabulary, newspapers will give you many common political, scientific,
economic, and technical words. Generally, newspapers are also a good source of
colloquial expressions.
T
Important: Not all newspapers would be suitable for spoken language study. In
many countries there are both common language and literary newspapers. You
would want to select a newspaper that uses common spoken language. You may
also be able to find magazines that work equally well. There may be magazines
of particular interest to you such as political news, handyman, sewing and crafts,
travel, outdoors and camping, sports, or any number of other topics. You would
want to have your language helper evaluate the newspaper or magazine to be
certain that the one you select uses an acceptable level of conversational language.
The term newspaper throughout the remainder of this chapter will refer to
whatever text you would have selected.
Some may also argue that a local newspaper does not always provide the best
conversational language for spoken language study. That may be true, but the
reality is that you probably would not be able to find the ideal text at any price.
When carefully selected, the inexpensive and readily available newspaper will
undoubtedly be your best compromise.
Further, this chapter attempts to describe the use of a newspaper in language
study without suggesting when its use in that study might occur. The introduction
of the newspaper into the language study schedule would depend entirely on the
unique circumstances in each language study program. The reference to time (six
weeks) at the end of the chapter is done simply for the sake of illustration, though
it is entirely realistic with the help of a competent language helper. Similarly,
some uses of the newspaper suggested in this chapter could occur early in
language study while others are for students who have already had considerably
more experience with their target language.
As you begin language study, you will need both a text and an audio recording of it to
use for pronunciation practice. Since it would be difficult to procure a constant supply of
companion texts with recordings, you will need to select one and then produce the other
with the help of your language helper.
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Going from a written text to an audio recording
In Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work, the role of a language
helper in your language study program will be fully explained. This present chapter,
however, will be primarily concerned with the text itself. As we begin this chapter, we
will make two assumptions: 1) that you will have a language helper who is a first
language (L1) speaker of your target language and pronounces the target language
correctly, and 2) that you will have audio recording equipment.
Everything considered, it should be easier to produce an audio recording from a
newspaper text than to produce a written text from a radio broadcast recording. It would
be much simpler for your language helper to record the text than it would be for the
language helper to transcribe the audio recording.
For your study purposes, a printed newspaper text will assure a more precise use of the
language, better spelling, and a more easily preserved printed copy. Because live radio
broadcasts are difficult to record when inexpensive audio equipment is being used, it
would be difficult to hear all of the words clearly. Therefore, it may be easier for you to
make a good language study recording by having the language helper read a newspaper
text for the audio recording. With a little coaching, your language helper could also learn
to record the material in such a way that there would be long enough pauses to allow you
to repeat the phrase when studying alone.
[1]
The purpose of using the newspaper is to facilitate spoken language practice. You
would always read the newspaper aloud, reading a sentence and then looking away from
the text while repeating the sentence from recall memory.
Appendix B: Text Exercises will illustrate how the text is actually used to create audio
exercises.
A number of uses of a newspaper are suggested under the following headings. These
uses, however, are progressive. That is, during the first few weeks of language study,
you will begin using the newspaper as an aid for building vocabulary and improving an
understanding of the meaning of the language. As language study continues, the
newspaper will become an increasingly important tool for syntax development.
Learning expressions from the newspaper will require more language skill and will take
place somewhat later in the language learning process. Each of these uses of a newspaper
as an aid to language learning will depend to some extent on the readiness of the student
to progress to that level.
Using the newspaper for vocabulary
First, read the article out loud, identifying new vocabulary as you go. Whenever you
read a word you do not know, stop and find it in your dictionary. Keep a vocabulary
notebook. If a word you do not know is used more than twice in an article, enter the
word in your notebook and put a check (
) by it to flag it as a word needing special
study. However, do not record place names or personal names in your notebook. After
you finish reading the article for the first time, review the meaning of all of the new
vocabulary words. Study these words enough that you know what they mean when you
Chapter 6: Selecting a Text
28
Learning to Speak a Second Language
read the article. Always pronounce vocabulary words out loud so that you learn
vocabulary as a spoken language.
After you are more familiar with the process, select other newspaper articles and
continue reading aloud while you look for new vocabulary words. When you find a word
in a second newspaper article that you have already checked (
) in your notebook, place
a second check (
) by it. Any word in your notebook with two checks should be
memorized as an important word to know.
Whenever you are able to do so, write out the cognate forms of the same word. For
example, to adhere, an adhesive, and adhesion are cognates. It will be helpful for you to
learn multiple cognate forms of a word at one time rather than learning each form as a
new vocabulary word when you first encounter it. Association of a single word in its
multiple forms with one root meaning results in more rapid vocabulary retention. It will
also teach you how to accurately develop cognate forms of words during speech when
you do not already know the word.
The following will be used as an English illustration. If, for example, you as an L2
speaker know the word "high" but do not yet know the superlative "highest," you could
nonetheless develop the sentence, "It was on the highest shelf," if you have the ability to
develop cognitives. By learning all cognate forms of every new word as a group — and
always learning them in the same pattern, such as sharp, sharper, sharpest, and sharply,
or quick, quicker, quickest, and quickly, your ability to accurately create unknown regular
cognitives during speech will be greatly enhanced.
[2]
The real essence of language fluency is understanding the target language well enough
to intuitively use previously unknown vocabulary during conversation. It may be helpful
to you to reserve a section in your vocabulary notebook for exactly the purpose of listing
cognitive forms.
Verbs should be listed in your notebook in their infinitive form (for example, "to
remember") rather than in a conjugated form (for example, "she remembers"). Note that
not all languages identify verbs in their infinitive form. Use your target language's
dictionary notation form as your pattern. After you have mastered the verb's conjugation,
it will be far simpler for you to learn a single verb form than it will be for you to learn
each form of a verb as an individual vocabulary word.
Using the newspaper for meaning
Read the article again for meaning. If you do not understand a sentence, stop and find
out exactly what it means.
If some of the definitions you have written in your notebook do not make sense when
you read them in the article, find the word again in your dictionary and see if it has other
meanings. If a second meaning for the word makes better sense in this case, write that
definition in your notebook.
If you still cannot figure out the meaning of a sentence, it may be because two or more
words are combined to form a single expression. Try to determine the meaning of
Chapter 6: Selecting a Text
29
Learning to Speak a Second Language
expressions. Look for similar expressions in other articles. If you still cannot determine
the meaning of an expression, ask your language helper for assistance.
Using the newspaper for syntax development
An ideal way to reinforce your use of grammatically correct syntax in your target
language is by reading newspaper articles aloud. Your goal is to retrain your mind,
hearing, and mouth to understand and use your target language correctly. Reading aloud
from a newspaper is one of the best ways to accomplish that.
The great advantage is that you are reading a large number of different sentences that
are all organized according to the same grammar rules. Thus, you are learning the
acceptable range of the syntax of that language. That is, there may appear to be many
variations from sentence to sentence, yet all of the uses are still correct. An example
from English would be learning that you can place the word "however" at the beginning,
middle, or end of an English sentence. You would also learn that the position of
"however" can make a slight difference in meaning, or it can enhance the style of the
sentence. You will discover equivalent nuances in your target language.
In many respects, using the newspaper for syntax development is similar to using it to
increase fluency and to help you develop fluid conversation as mentioned below. The
same exercises suggested below would be as profitable for syntax as they would be for
fluency and conversation.
Using the newspaper in order to learn expressions
Expressions add richness and variety to all languages. Identify expressions as you read
the newspaper. Use a special mark to identify them in articles. As we will see in a
moment, many expressions may be divided, with component words of the expression
being separated by non-component words.
Try substituting other words within the same expression. Say or write as many
sentences using the expression as possible. As an English example, you may read a
sentence in a newspaper that says, "The Governor announced on Friday that he will not
run for another term, putting to rest months of speculation about his future intentions."
Most expressions can be used in different tenses with different people or things. For
example, the expression "to put to rest" can be used in the present tense, "I want to put
our disagreement to rest," in the future tense, "He will put his argument to rest," or in the
past tense, "They finally put their rivalry to rest." Notice that in these phrases, the
component parts of the expression are separated as in, "They finally put their rivalry to
rest." Watch for such variations of construction in expressions in your target language.
English also uses forms of words as a type of expression. For example, you may read
a sentence in a newspaper that says, "We're getting many calls from people who are
panicking and asking what they can do." This form of expression uses two or more
words ending in "…ing" to describe two or more actions that the same person is doing at
one time. You will certainly find many similar expression forms in your target language.
Chapter 6: Selecting a Text
30
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Using the newspaper for fluency enhancement
As you use the newspaper in your spoken exercises, you will begin reading longer
sections rather than simply alternating between reading sentences aloud and then
repeating them from recall memory. You will want to read the entire article aloud for
fluency practice. Try reading the article as smoothly as possible without stopping. Read
it aloud at least twice.
For more fluency practice, continue reading the article aloud until you can read it at the
same rate of speed that a first language speaker uses when talking. Practice until your
pronunciation duplicates that of a first language speaker.
Your purpose is not to merely learn the vocabulary in these newspaper articles, but to
learn to speak your target language. Keep practicing until you can read the article aloud
well enough that a first language speaker could clearly understand what you are saying.
Fluency is the ability to speak smoothly with proper intonation. Initially, use single
sentences for fluency drills, repeatedly reading a single sentence until you can read it
smoothly. Eventually, do the same with multiple sentences or paragraphs. Even as a
beginning student, there is value in reading a longer passage or entire article without
break in order to establish the rhythm of the spoken language. This is excellent
proprioceptive training.
Your natural tendency will be to move on to new articles too quickly. In reality, it is
only after you already know all of the vocabulary and can pronounce each word correctly
that you will be ready to use the newspaper article to full advantage. You are not fully
retraining your mind and tongue until you can read the article at normal speaking speed
with proper inflection and pronunciation. You will better attain fluent speech by re-
reading fewer articles aloud perfectly than you will by reading many articles aloud with
faulty pronunciation.
Using the newspaper for conversation practice
In Chapter 3, it was stated, "You must never make a mistake when you are speaking."
That objective will be the most difficult when you first begin free conversation. However,
using a newspaper article will be a great aid in producing conversation that is essentially
free of mistakes.
A newspaper article can give you a great deal of structure for conversation practice.
This structure will give both you and your language helper a defined group of vocabulary
words, defined sentences with an understood meaning, and a defined context in which the
vocabulary and sentences can be communicated. After very little coaching, your
language helper can use the newspaper article to structure free conversation.
To continue with the illustration from English, your language helper could lead you in
a discussion evolving from a newspaper article. You could easily have the following
discussion after only six weeks of full-time language study. Notice that your language
helper is asking each question twice, expecting that you will substitute a pronoun in your
second response.
Chapter 6: Selecting a Text
31
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Language Helper: "What did the Governor announce on Friday?"
Reply: "The Governor announced on Friday that he will not run for another term."
Language Helper: "What did the Governor announce on Friday?"
Reply: "He announced on Friday that he will not run for another term."
Language Helper: "Will the Governor run for another term?"
Reply: "No, the Governor will not run for another term."
Language Helper: "Will the Governor run for another term?"
Reply: "No, he will not run for another term."
Language Helper: "When did the Governor announce that he will not run for another
term?"
Reply: "The Governor announced on Friday that he will not run for another term."
Language Helper: "When did the Governor announce that he will not run for another
term?"
Reply: "He announced on Friday that he will not run for another term."
Assuming that you have only been studying your target language for six weeks, your
initial response to each question may be slow and halting. You may also be looking at
the printed text when your language helper initially asks the question. But at least your
answer is word perfect. You are training your proprioceptive sense by using perfect
syntax. Now you can add perfect pronunciation and fluency to that.
Typically in language instruction, extra attention is given when a student makes
mistakes. That is, when a sentence is used incorrectly, it will be corrected with additional
drills. On the other hand, when a student responds correctly, the instructor will move on
to the next sentence. That is not what you want your language helper to do for you now.
Of course, you will want help with incorrect syntax and pronunciation. But in order to
learn the language effectively, you will want to emphasize correct language use. To
continue our example, let's say that none of the sentences in the above illustration have
any phonemes that you cannot reproduce acceptably. Therefore, at your instruction, your
language helper will continue to drill you on these same sentences until they are perfect.
Your language helper will again ask the first question twice, allowing you to respond
accordingly.
Language Helper: "What did the Governor announce on Friday?"
Reply: "The Governor announced on Friday that he will not run for another term."
Language Helper: "What did the Governor announce on Friday?"
Reply: "He announced on Friday that he will not run for another term."
Now, however, you will not be looking at the text. Your language helper will ask
these two questions until you can answer word perfectly from recall memory.
But she is still not finished. She will now increase the tempo and will expect you to
answer in the same cadence. She will persist until the two of you are conversing so
Chapter 6: Selecting a Text
32
Learning to Speak a Second Language
quickly and naturally that a first language speaker coming into the room would hear a
strangely redundant conversation in what would otherwise be completely understandable
language. It would be just as understandable to that first language speaker as any
conversation would be between two first language speakers on the street.
This would continue — maybe for several days of practice — until the entire series of
questions from that newspaper article could be asked and answered in fully fluent
conversation.
You would be worn out by the time you finished studying this intently from a
newspaper article. Yet while others would be in the beginning language course after their
initial six weeks of study, you — after your first six weeks — would already be speaking
on an advanced level, though you would only be using a relatively small number of
sentences.
Congratulations!
[1]
Generally, at the conclusion of each lesson session, the language helper would record audio
lessons for the student to study alone. More information regarding recording will be given in
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work.
[2]
This same technique using the verb will be demonstrated in Chapter 7: Studying the Verb.
Chapter 6: Selecting a Text
33
Chapter 7: Studying the Verb
Chapter summary: When you study your target language, you will want to develop
spoken exercises that emphasize the unique characteristics of that language. Verb
exercises which use all persons, tenses, and other verb functions within a single
assignment will probably be some of your most important drills.
ach language has distinct qualities that will require unique and specific exercises.
Many languages are inflexive and use declensions in which certain words indicate
agreement or specialized meaning. Inflexive languages have well-developed verbs
with numerous forms. If your target language is inflexive, you will need to use carefully
developed verb exercises. (English, however, is not an inflexive language.)
E
Many modern languages add a great deal of precision by their use of these linguistic
constructions. For example, an adjective may be definitively identified with the noun
that it modifies by its agreement in gender and number, thus setting it apart from other
adjective/noun combinations within the same context. Since written language is derived
from spoken language, the focus of this chapter is primarily the variations of meaning
that result from manipulation of the spoken language. The following two definitions are
important here:
1. An inflexive language is one that adds one phoneme — or one moneme in its
written form — to a verb to denote case, number, gender, person, tense, etc. A
phoneme is the smallest linguistic sound carrying meaning, whereas a moneme is
the smallest linguistic unit (typically a letter in a phonemic alphabet) identifying a
specific phoneme.
2. Declension is the occurrence of inflection in nouns, pronouns and adjectives,
indicating such features as number (typically singular vs. plural), case (subject,
object, and other case functions), and gender. Declension occurs in a great many
of the world's languages.
This chapter will demonstrate how specialized exercises which focus on unique
qualities in a language can be constructed. It is easy to demonstrate this type of exercise
by using the English verb as an example. Probably nothing marks adults struggling to
learn English quite as much as their improper use of verbs in regard to person and tense.
Therefore, when teaching English to adults, it is necessary to use specialized English verb
drills.
Of course, you will need to adapt these examples of English verb exercises to your
own needs as you begin learning your target language. Inasmuch as English adjectives
are seldom modified in order to agree with gender and number, we cannot give sample
exercises for that purpose, though you could certainly develop them for French, Spanish,
and many other languages. Other languages would require extensive exercises for case
within the verb. And were you to be studying Cantonese, you would certainly need to
develop exercises using its six tones.
Learning to Speak a Second Language
A short introduction to verb drills
All of these illustrations are taken from the Spoken English Learned Quickly language
course. In my own personal experience with language learning, I was frustrated when I
would learn a present tense, then a week or two later learn its past or future tense, only to
come back to it again a few months later to learn its subjunctive form. I would have done
much better had I learned each verb as a complete unit. When I was studying French, the
verb "etre" (to be) evolved into at least four verbs. First I learned the present tense etre,
later the past tense etre, still later the future tense etre, and finally, an entirely new etre
verb form called the subjunctive. It would have been much more effective for me to have
learned one verb having four tenses than to have learned four separate tenses as though
each was a new verb.
Of course, I am exaggerating to make a point. Yet, if we make a single package out of
each verb, learning it in all its forms simultaneously, it becomes a far simpler memory
task. In addition, full use of each verb as it is learned gives greater initial command of
the language. I said many things incorrectly until months later when I finally learned the
subjunctive form. Then I wasted additional time retraining my mind to use the
subjunctive form in place of the tenses I had previously thought I was using correctly. I
spent more time learning and then unlearning incorrect verb constructions than had I
learned fewer verbs initially, but learned them in their entirety.
There is, however, another equally forceful argument for learning all forms of the verb
at one time. As I have taught the Spoken English Learned Quickly course, I have
discovered that, in a relatively few weeks of learning all new verbs in their entirety, adult
students who have no previous knowledge of English are able to conjugate verbs which
they have never before encountered. I have experimented with this many times. I choose
an obscure regular verb and find a student who does not know its meaning. Then I have
the student conjugate it in all of its persons and tenses. Only after they have successfully
conjugated the verb do I tell them what it means. It is an amazing process to see.
(Spoken English Learned Quickly was designed to be used as a self-study course. Most
students study on their own. However, I have often conducted a weekly two-hour group
session as a means of encouraging the students. It is during the group sessions that I have
used these spoken conjugation drills.)
We strongly encourage you to learn all forms of each verb the first time you encounter
them in your study. Verbs will become much more useful to you in a shorter period of
time.
In traditional language instruction, once a particular verb tense is supposedly learned, it
is then assumed that the students know that form and no longer need to review it. Yes,
the students may be able to write all the present tense forms of a particular regular verb,
but that is not the objective. Can they use all of those forms in spontaneous spoken
English? In the Spoken English Learned Quickly course, instruction does not stop when
students are able to write the endings of certain verbs. The goal is to help the students
reach a level of fluency in which they can correctly use the verb in all of its tenses and
persons in normal speech.
Chapter 7: Studying the Verb
35
Learning to Speak a Second Language
That will be your objective as you learn to speak your target language. Do not be
satisfied by simply learning verb tense and person in written form. You will not know a
particular verb until you can use it fluently in spontaneous conversation.
For the same reason that you were encouraged to learn cognate forms of words in
Chapter 6, you are encouraged to learn all of the individual forms of a single verb at one
time. This will greatly reduce the time required to learn verb vocabulary. Depending on
your target language, this could include tenses, persons, imperatives, declensions, etc.
Combining all forms of each verb as you learn them will also improve your intuitive
understanding of that particular verb. You will be better able to use the verb in its
different forms when you want to use it to convey a similar meaning.
All of the above comments relate to spoken language. You may find it helpful to write
tables. But you must learn to use the words in the tables as spoken vocabulary, not
merely as written tables.
Four types of verb drills
The Spoken English Learned Quickly lessons use four verb table forms. In the early
lessons, only the following form is used. It will be called an "A" format for this
illustration:
1. An "A" format English verb drill.
TO OWN (to own) / She promised to own it. (She promised to own it.)
Own. (Own.) / Please own it. (Please own it.)
owning (owning) / He is owning it. (He is owning it.)
owned (owned) / it is owned (it is owned) / it was owned (it was owned) / it will be
owned (it will be owned)
•
I own (I own) / he owns (he owns) / she owns (she owns) / it owns (it owns) / you
own (you own) / we own (we own) / they own (they own)
•
I owned (I owned) / he owned (he owned) / she owned (she owned) / it owned (it
owned) / you owned (you owned) / we owned (we owned) / they owned (they
owned)
•
I will own (I will own) / he will own (he will own) / she will own (she will own) /
it will own (it will own) / you will own (you will own) / we will own (we will own)
/ they will own (they will own)
Since all of the exercises are recorded as audio lessons, the students respond by
repeating the words enclosed in the ellipses (. . .). A Student Workbook is provided that
contains the written text for all spoken drills. The parenthetical phrases are included in
the written text. Thus, the narrator says, "to own" and the students respond, "to own."
The narrator says, "She promised to own it," and the students respond, "She promised to
own it."
[1]
Everything is spoken, and as soon as the students understand a new exercise,
Chapter 7: Studying the Verb
36
Learning to Speak a Second Language
they put the written text aside and complete the exercise by using only the audio
recording without the text.
Repeated use of this format allows the students to conjugate an unknown verb
correctly. Can you see how their fluency increases when they can correctly use English
verbs so early in their language learning experience? That is the same fluency you will
want to develop as you study your target language.
Quite early in the lesson series, another verb table format is introduced. Throughout
the Student Workbook, all irregular verb forms appear in bold type. A drill for the
irregular verb "to meet" looks like this:
2. A sentence completion English verb drill.
Complete the following sentences with "them here every evening."
I always meet (I always meet them here every evening.) / He always meets (He
always meets them here every evening.) / You always meet (You always meet them
here every evening.) / We always meet (We always meet them here every evening.) /
They always meet (They always meet them here every evening.)
Complete the following sentences with "them here after work."
I always met (I always met them here after work.) / She always met (She always met
them here after work.) / You always met (You always met them here after work.) /
We always met (We always met them here after work.) / They always met (They
always met them here after work.)
Complete the following sentences with "them all before evening."
I will meet (I will meet them all before evening.) / She will meet (She will meet them
all before evening.) / You will meet (You will meet them all before evening.) / We
will meet (We will meet them all before evening.) / They will meet (They will meet
them all before evening.)
Though the sentences are simple, this format teaches the verb conjugation in the
context of the spoken language. It also forces the students to be more mentally alert
during the exercise. Later in the lessons, a third type of verb table is added that is
identified here as a "B" format table. It looks like this:
3. "B" format English verb drill.
TO TEST (to test) / He promised to test it. (He promised to test it.)
Test. (Test.) / Please test it. (Please test it.)
testing (testing) / He is testing some. (He is testing some.)
Chapter 7: Studying the Verb
37
Learning to Speak a Second Language
tested (tested) / it is tested (it is tested) / it was tested (it was tested) / it will be tested
(it will be tested)
I test (I test) I tested (I tested) I will test (I will test)
he tests (he tests) he tested (he tested) he will test (he will test)
she tests (she tests) she tested (she tested) she will test (she will test)
it tests (it tests) it tested (it tested) it will test (it will test)
you test (you test) you tested (you tested) you will test (you will test)
we test (we test) we tested (we tested) we will test (we will test)
they test (they test) they tested (they tested) they will test (they will test)
In this format, students are forced to move from tense to tense using the same person,
rather than from person to person using the same tense as they did in the A format drills.
Language requires both skills, so students are taught to do both at normal conversation
speed.
However, by this time in the lessons, students should be able to do both. Consequently,
they alternate between table formats in the same exercise. That is, the first verb uses the
A format, the second verb uses the B format, the third verb uses the A format, the fourth
uses the B format, and so on to the end of the exercise. This increases the students'
abilities to use the verb with all tenses and persons while, at the same time, forcing them
to develop spontaneity while using verbs.
Again, this will be your objective in learning your target language. You want to be
able to manipulate the spoken verb quickly and accurately, using all persons and tenses in
addition to any other verb functions in your target language. You should also be able to
see the great advantage of learning all tenses and persons of a verb at one time. If you
learn all the forms of the entire verb each time you encounter a new verb, you will have
learned one meaning with multiple forms rather than a mix of verb forms and meanings.
Learning all forms of a single verb in this way will take you less time than learning the
same material using a traditional method.
Most importantly, if you use spoken exercises as a means of learning verb tables, you
will find that the conjugation you are learning for one verb will be quickly transferred to
other verbs.
The same transfer of knowledge will also be true with any kind of word or sentence
construction you learn as you use this table format. Once you are familiar with that
exercise, you will always study the information in the table as a spoken exercise without
reading from the text.
There is a final verb exercise format used in the Spoken English Learned Quickly
course. The exercise with its spoken introductory explanation looks like this:
Chapter 7: Studying the Verb
38
Learning to Speak a Second Language
4. Tense or person selection English verb drill.
Say each sentence using the word I will give you. I will tell you if the sentence should
be in the present, the past, or the future. Use the word "to ride."
Present. The children in that family always _________ the bus.
(The children in that family always ride the bus.) The children in that family
always ride the bus. (The children in that family always ride the bus.)
Present. That family with three children always _________ the bus.
(That family with three children always rides the bus.) That family with three
children always rides the bus. (That family with three children always rides the
bus.)
This verb table format is used frequently with a large number of regular and irregular
verbs. It uses all tenses and persons and incorporates as much vocabulary from each new
lesson as possible. In Chapter 7: Making the Proprioceptive Method Work, you will learn
more about the process of recording these written tables as audio exercises.
Manipulating language
Development of the ability to manipulate language is easily illustrated. Imagine that
four-year-old Ryan lives next door to his best friend. The boys frequently go on each
other’s family outings together. On one occasion, the two boys rode a miniature train
that circled a picnic area at the zoo. When Ryan returned home, he excitedly told his
parents, “. . . and we rided the train.”
As a young child, Ryan’s developing language skills include his growing ability to
manipulate language. He can correctly use “…ed” to signal past tense with regular verbs.
In time, he will learn the correct conjugation of the irregular verb to ride and will be able
to report that they rode the train. We often hear young children doing this. Probably the
most frequently made mistake is attaching “…ed” to irregular verbs to create the past
tense. Other instances include “gooder” or “baddest” for the words good or bad that do
not follow convention, even though the child is using the correct pattern
(“tall/taller/tallest” or “large/larger/largest”). Thus, prior to attaining maturity in
language, growth is evident as a child develops the ability to manipulate language. The
child is intuitively attempting to express unknown, yet grammatically correct thoughts.
As adults, we may detect a mistake in conjugation. Yet, how often have we heard a child
incidentally use a past tense correctly, when we did not realize that the correct conjugated
form itself was not yet a part of that child’s recall vocabulary?
Thus, when the Feedback Training Method teaches students to manipulate language in
a way that can be used to create new vocabulary, it closely replicates a child’s language
development. As far as we know, no studies have been conducted to evaluate this
process. Nonetheless, it seems reasonable that the best way to teach a new language is to
group cognitives and the tenses and persons of verbs in a way that mirrors a child’s
progression in language development.
Chapter 7: Studying the Verb
39
Learning to Speak a Second Language
The proprioceptive influence
Notice how the emphasis on the proprioceptive sense in language learning has
influenced this method. Verb usage is important in English, as it likely is in all languages.
In order to use verbs properly in English, the speaker must use tense and person correctly.
However, tense and person have multiple components. There are cognitive
components that are essentially controlled by memory. So drills that retrain memory will
be needed. This is accomplished by using a great deal of repetition. These verb forms
will be repeated thousands of times throughout these lessons.
During cognitive learning, however, students should also develop the proprioceptive
sense that will retrain their mouths to pronounce the words correctly. After all, the
difference in knowing whether to use "ride" or "rides" is a function of pronunciation as
far as the tongue and hearing are concerned. Therefore, in all of these exercises, the
students’ cognitive, proprioceptive sense, and hearing have simultaneously been retrained
by forcing them to speak aloud, listening to both the narrator and their own voice, and
experiencing the feedback from their own mouth as they speak.
Something else has also been done that is extremely important. For the entire time the
students work on the exercises, everything they hear the narrator say has been an example
of perfect English. It is perfect in both its pronunciation and syntax. The students could
use this lesson from which these sample exercises were taken for two hours a day for five
days a week. If the students repeat exactly what the narrator says, they could speak
perfect English for 10 hours during that week, even though they are studying by
themselves.
These same students could probably do a written exercise using the same material. It
would be a cognitive exercise, but it would not involve any retraining of their mouths or
hearing. They would probably work on it for two hours or less during the week. The
results would be negligible in terms of producing fluent spoken English.
You will want to establish an effective training experience when you study your target
language. If you want to be successful, you must avoid complacency with written
exercises. Your goal is to advance to effective spoken language learning.
However, it will be difficult. There is no way that you can repeat the same sentences
enough times to retrain your mind, mouth, and hearing without becoming weary in the
process. That is the price you must be willing to pay in order to efficiently learn to speak
a new language fluently.
[1]
This sentence gives an opportunity to illustrate one of the design criteria behind the Spoken
English Learned Quickly lessons. Your first response would be to think that a sentence like, "She
promised to own it," is grammatically correct, but would never be used in normal speech.
However, let's say, for instance, that a somewhat abrasive college sorority sister was known for
her duplicity. During a hotly debated decision, she got her way on an issue by promising that she
would take responsibility for the outcome. True to form, when the plan failed, this sorority sister
blamed someone else for its failure. In the next meeting, an angry sorority sister made the
comment, "But she promised to own it." Standing alone in a verb drill, this sentence appears as
though it would never be used in normal speech. In fact, it has a very specialized, colloquial
Chapter 7: Studying the Verb
40
Learning to Speak a Second Language
meaning that could well be used as expressed in this sorority illustration. An important purpose
in the design of the Spoken English Learned Quickly course is to teach the language students to
effectively manipulate the language. Every attempt is made to avoid nonsensical sentences in
language drills. Nonetheless, it is important for students to have a full command of correct
English. The best way to do that — when possible — is to teach every usable form of each verb.
For the same reason that we want students to learn cognitive word forms in order to manipulate
the language when they need to create a word during a conversation, we also want them to
understand a statement that is dependent on a verb construction even when they have not yet
learned a particular expression. As a point of interest, whenever there was a similar uncertainty
during the design of an exercise sentence, the test of its viability was that a plausible situation
could be constructed — as in the story above — in which the sentence could have a colloquial use.
This lengthy explanation is given because we want to encourage you to design your own
language drills in order to include a complete — though always realistic — use of your target
language.
Chapter 7: Studying the Verb
41
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work
Chapter summary: This chapter explains how you can use the Feedback Training
Method to effectively double your language learning rate as you learn to speak a
second language.
The Feedback Training Method will then be applied to two settings in which you
might study. The first setting would be formal language study in an established
school. The second would be language study in an area without adequate schools,
requiring that you establish your own language program. In the latter case, the
practical problems involved in developing the course and in selecting and training a
language helper are discussed.
his chapter will give you some practical suggestions in applying the Feedback
Training Method to your language study, helping you to gain fluency as quickly as
possible. From past experience with the Spoken English Learned Quickly course, it is fair
to say that these methods can help you double the rate at which you acquire a new
language. That is, in hour-for-hour of study, you can reach the same fluency level in six
months that you would otherwise reach in a full year of study relying only on an
established school's program. This language-learning rate should be just as attainable
when using your own program in an area where formal instruction is limited.
T
In order to succeed, however, you must remember the four rules that were previously
given in Chapter 3:
1.
To learn to speak a language correctly, you must speak it aloud.
2.
To learn to speak a language fluently, you must think in that language.
3.
The more you speak a language aloud, the more quickly you will learn to speak
fluently.
4.
You must never make a mistake when you are speaking.
There is no alternative to committing a great amount of time to language study. If you
are devoting full time to it, then try to spend a full eight hours a day, five days a week on
language study. Ideally, that will be eight hours devoted to actual speaking by means of
recorded exercises and newspaper reading. If you are enrolled in a structured class, you
will need to supplement your class and preparation time with additional newspaper
reading and spoken exercises for a total of eight hours of study each day.
Whatever your schedule permits — from one hour a day to eight hours a day — bring
as much spoken language into your study time as possible.
If you are applying the four rules above and simultaneously thinking, speaking out
loud, and listening to yourself in your target language, you are using a Feedback Training
Method of language study.
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Learning an alphabet
Let's assume that you are a first language English-speaking adult, that you possibly
also have a college degree, and that you know the Latin alphabet. With this background,
you should find it fairly easy to learn the alphabet for languages such as Polish and others
that use additional accents and diacritical marks.
However, if you are learning a language that uses another alphabet, you will need to
learn that alphabet first.
Most languages use a relatively small number of letters in their alphabet. You would
severely hamper your language learning efforts if you did not first learn that short
alphabet. Some languages have considerably longer alphabets, and you may not need to
learn all of the letters before starting to study the spoken language itself. On the other
hand, Chinese is the only language that uses only characters while Japanese uses two
alphabets and additional Chinese characters.
[1]
In time, you will want to learn as many
characters as possible. However, with no personal experience to guide me regarding
these two languages, I would think that your time might be better spent by initially
concentrating on the spoken language.
Making the Feedback Training Method work during formal language study
If you are studying in a highly structured program which emphasizes written
assignments, you will need to supplement that study with spoken language. Our bias
against written assignments for language learning does not concern the accuracy of the
sentences themselves. In all likelihood, the written sentences used in these language
programs are an excellent representation of the language. They should, however, be
learned as spoken phrases rather than as written sentences.
If you are in a language program that emphasizes written assignments, then after
completing the written portion of the daily work, spend your additional study time using
the assignments as spoken exercises.
1.
Practice only with written sentences that you know to be correct. You may want
to use the sentences from the previous day's lesson after they have been corrected
in class. Or you may have access to a first language speaker who can check them
for you. Avoid getting your primary help from an advanced student who is a first
language speaker of your own language.
2.
In the early part of your study, be very certain that your pronunciation is correct.
When the pronunciation of your own language and the target language are similar,
this will not be a major problem. In other instances, it will be a serious concern.
For example, a first language English speaker cannot learn proper French
pronunciation without help from either a first language French-speaking person or
some form of audio recordings.
3.
In some cases, you can record short segments from local television or radio
programs for use as pronunciation drills.
[2]
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work
43
Learning to Speak a Second Language
4.
In time, your pronunciation will become more reliable and you can return to
reading written class assignments and newspapers aloud for pronunciation
practice.
5.
You will need to use a mix of methods when you are reading. The second rule
above suggests that you never merely read the sentences, but that you also recite
the sentences from recall memory. That is, you read a sentence aloud and then
look away from the page and immediately repeat the sentence from memory. On
the other hand, there will be times when reading an entire newspaper article or
written language assignment aloud, using precise pronunciation, will be of great
benefit. Reading longer portions without pause will develop your sense of the
cadence of your target language. Be creative in adding variety so that you are
able to maintain the intense schedule while avoiding the monotony that could
undermine your best intentions.
6.
In all likelihood, if you are in a structured class, verbs as well as other types of
speech will be introduced progressively rather than as was suggested in Chapter 7:
Studying the Verb. You may greatly enhance your learning speed if you construct
verb tables as you encounter new verbs. Very quickly, you should be able to take
any new regular verb and recite the entire table without first writing it. You may
find it to be helpful to make tables with suffixes and prefixes while leaving blank
spaces for the verb root. Then each time you encounter a new verb, you can refer
to that table for spoken practice. As already suggested, get into the habit of
learning each verb in its entirety. Also, develop the habit of learning the verb as a
spoken rather than written vocabulary word.
7.
If you are in a classroom language study program, you will undoubtedly have a
language textbook that will provide enough information for you to be able to
construct your own verb tables.
8.
When you begin study, you will have a limited vocabulary that will not permit
you to practice individual verbs in the context of a sentence. Again, turn to your
newspaper. Find sentences that include specific verbs with the tenses and persons
you are looking for. Look up the vocabulary for those sentences and then use the
full sentences in spoken practice. With that model sentence, you can construct
oral drills by changes in person or tense.
9.
During your initial language study, the process suggested in the previous
paragraph will be slow. It may require a good deal of time for you to find a
sentence that can be appropriately adapted and then to find the meaning of each
word. Don't be discouraged. The laborious process is still teaching you important
lessons about the language. Soon it will take far less time as you become familiar
with vocabulary and syntax.
10. Notice that the emphasis on speaking is not initially done "on the street." Of
course, as quickly as you are able, you will want to engage in live conversation.
Understand, however, that your polite listeners will allow you to use their
language incorrectly. Because they will feign understanding, you will be unable
to determine if your syntax or pronunciation is correct. Carefully apply the fourth
rule and try to learn basic syntax before you get into the habit of using words that
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work
44
Learning to Speak a Second Language
will just get you by because your listeners are polite or have learned to interpret
what you mean.
Making the Feedback Training Method work as your only language course
Several assumptions are made in this section. Presumably the target language is
spoken by a relatively large population, is used in public education, and, at least to some
degree, is used in university level education. Also, presumably books and newspapers
are readily available in the language.
We are also assuming that you will be able to locate a language helper who has the
equivalent of a public school education. Better yet, your language helper will be a
university student. University students trying to earn extra money are good language
helpers. They also have excellent contacts among their peers which would permit a
substitute if they become temporarily — or permanently — unavailable.
This chapter is not concerned with a target language that is unwritten and/or used by a
remote and isolated group of people. There are organizations that deal with language
learning in that setting. Therefore, devising a method for learning that language is not the
intent of this book.
You may find that language courses are actually offered in the country by a university
or private tutors. However, you may have used them and decided that they are not
effective for you. Typically, these courses will consist largely of lectures on grammar or
culture and will have class sizes that are too large to allow for significant spoken
language experience. They will provide little to nothing in audio playback language
laboratories or pre-recorded spoken language exercises.
You may enroll in a class as described above, but plan on supplementing your class
work with a great deal of additional spoken material as suggested in the section on formal
classes. Enrolling in this kind of course gives you access to a language teacher who
could correct your pronunciation and syntax problems. On the other hand, after
evaluating the language courses that are locally available, you may decide that you would
accomplish more by designing your own spoken language course.
The information in the following sub-headings should help you structure your course.
Selecting a language helper. If you live close to a university, a student might be a good
choice. If you use a Feedback Training Method, an effective language helper does not
need to have any training as a language teacher as long as he or she speaks your target
language fluently. In fact, if you feel confident in establishing the kind of language
learning program suggested in this book, you may find that a university student with
training as a language teacher could actually hinder your progress. In all probability, this
training would place high value on teaching grammar. In the absence of a local
university, a secondary school student or graduate could also serve the purpose just as
well.
You will want a language helper who speaks clearly, can read well, and has an
acceptable voice for recording purposes. The language helper should also be able to
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work
45
Learning to Speak a Second Language
write and spell correctly. In your study, you will be using written exercise pages that
your language helper will write. It is important that you see correctly written sentences
with correct spelling. Of course, as suggested in Chapter 6: Selecting a Text, you will
also use a newspaper which is well edited, with good grammar and spelling.
Your language helper will be making voice recordings that you will use for practice. It
is important that his or her pronunciation is correct and clear so that you can be confident
in mimicking the recording. As much as possible, find a language helper who speaks
with a normal cadence. Also be aware that missing front teeth or speech impediments
will likely distort pronunciation.
Initially, if you and your language helper share another language in common other than
the target language, you could use it for communicating as you establish the pay, the
study schedule and your expectations. In many parts of the world, you would expect to
pay your language helper at least weekly, if not daily.
Training your language helper. Understand the skill differences between you and your
language helper. He or she is the expert in the language — you are not. You are the
expert in the language learning method — he or she is not. After you have studied for a
while, you could presumptuously assume that you know more about the language than
your language helper does, hindering the process. That can happen more often than you
might imagine! On the other hand, your language helper has more than likely studied
language in school using a grammar-based method. If the university system uses a
European language as the means of instruction, your language helper will almost
certainly have studied that European language's grammar for many years in school. It
would also mean that grammar study was superimposed on the local language. Your
language helper will expect that you want him or her to teach you grammar. It would be
surprising if your language helper would initially understand the Feedback Training
Method of using only spoken language.
In all probability, your language helper will expect that you are paying him or her to
give you grammar lessons. He or she will probably further expect that the language of
instruction will rely heavily on a common language between you — either he or she has
studied English or you have studied French or another language of instruction used in the
local university. Your language helper may also have an agenda, hoping to practice
English as well.
Considering all of the above, you have an important task ahead of you in training your
language helper to speak only the target language. Nonetheless, in this section let's
assume that you have a common language in which you can communicate to some degree.
However, you will not be using this common language for instruction. All instruction
will be in your target language. You will need to work together as a team — you will be
guiding the language sessions, while your language helper will be providing the language
expertise.
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work
46
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Developing initial exercises. The following suggestions assume that you have no
language ability in your target language and that you are just beginning your initial
language study.
1.
Start with the "hello"s and "goodby"s of the language. Show your language
helper that you want to mimic everything he or she says, and that you want to
speak at a normal cadence, using correct pronunciation. Work with your language
helper until the two of you can carry out a complete conversation using the
appropriate greetings and farewells.
2.
Keep a notebook in which your language helper writes every phrase he or she is
suggesting to you. When you have written the phrases in the notebook, the two of
you should be able to repeat the phrases as a dialogue.
3.
Work on vocabulary. You will keep a vocabulary notebook that is separate from
the phrase notebook your language helper is using. Make a list of vocabulary
words and write the definitions in English.
4.
Using your recording equipment, have your language helper record four or five
phrases as a test recording. After each phrase, your language helper must pause
long enough to give you time to repeat the phrase. However, your voice is not
recorded. Now, demonstrate how you will use the recording during study. This
will give your language helper a better idea of how much time should be allowed
during the pauses.
[3]
5.
If the pause time is either too short or too long, re-record the first phrases until it
is correct. Then finish the recording so that all phrases written in the notebook are
recorded. Depending on the time allowed for each session, this may complete the
first lesson.
6.
You will keep both the phrase notebook and the vocabulary notebook with you.
7.
After your language helper leaves, you will spend a number of hours studying
before the next lesson. You will practice until you can say all of the phrases with
good pronunciation without referring to the phrase notebook. You will also learn
all of the vocabulary.
8.
During your next lesson, you may introduce the idea of verb tables. Select verbs
from the vocabulary. Have your language helper give you all of the tenses and
persons — and other grammatical functions placed within the verb if pertinent to
that language. If it is a common verb, be alert to the fact that it may be an
irregular verb. If you have purchased language texts for your target language, you
may already have textbooks giving all of this information. If so, you can prepare
the initial table information without your language helper's involvement.
9.
Have your language helper write a number of the verbs used in the first lesson in
table format. Have him or her repeat each person and tense — and other verb
grammar functions — as demonstrated in Chapter 7: Studying the Verb. Respond
by repeating everything your language helper says. Finally, using appropriate
pauses, have your language helper record all of the verb tables he or she has just
written. This will probably be the end of the second lesson.
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work
47
Learning to Speak a Second Language
10. Again, you will study using the recordings until you can repeat everything from
the first two lessons perfectly without looking at the phrase or vocabulary
notebooks.
11. During the next lesson, have your language helper write simple sentences for each
person and tense for as many verb tables as you will be able to finish and record
for that lesson. Use as many of the words as possible which are already on your
vocabulary list. You will need to encourage your language helper to frequently
reuse vocabulary you are already familiar with. He or she must be in the habit of
using your vocabulary notebook whenever new phases are written for recording.
12. In successive lessons, you can complete more verb tables and example sentences
for each of the verbs you have already used. Of course, new example sentences
will introduce new verbs. The new verbs will introduce even more new
vocabulary as the new sample phrases are written and recorded. Be creative and
you will find that this process will be self-perpetuating, producing enough
material for many weeks of intense language study. You will also soon
accumulate enough recorded material so that you can profitably spend many
hours a day repeating it.
13. There is a mistake you must avoid. Your objective is not to review the recordings
until you merely understand the meaning and the vocabulary. You will reach that
point quickly. You should study every recording until you can flawlessly
pronounce each phrase. That will take considerably more work. Do not be
satisfied with merely understanding the phrases. Work until you can reproduce
the phrases with the fluency of a first language speaker.
Selecting a text. At some point, you will begin drawing your text from a newspaper.
Three previously stated principles need to be reviewed regarding newspapers as language
study aids:
• You will need to select your newspaper carefully, making certain that it is an edition
that uses everyday common language rather than one that uses a literary style.
• You cannot use a newspaper for language study without having appropriate
pronunciation assistance. During your early study, you will want to have your
language helper guide you so that your pronunciation is correct. You may want to
read the article together and then continue reading the same article after your
language helper leaves for the day. You should have your language helper record
the newspaper article with appropriate pauses.
• You should always read the newspaper aloud.
It may be helpful to have two identical newspapers so that both you and your language
helper have the same text. You will proceed much as you did earlier. Initially, you will
be able to use a single newspaper article for many weeks, so you do not need to buy a
newspaper for each session.
1.
Select a short article that interests you. Your language helper may help you make
selections based on the vocabulary or expressions contained in the article.
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work
48
Learning to Speak a Second Language
2.
Start by reading the article together. Have your language helper read a phrase,
and then you reread the same phrase yourself until your pronunciation is perfect.
Then go to the next phrase or sentence, and so on.
3.
When you begin to study the same sentences on the recording, you will not be
looking at the newspaper. Your response will be entirely from recall memory.
Therefore, show your language helper how longer sentences should be broken
into shorter phrases. For examples, see Appendix B: Text Exercises.
4.
During your practice reading, it might be helpful for your language helper to
insert slash marks in the text to indicate where pauses should occur during the
recording.
5.
Develop vocabulary lists in your vocabulary notebook as you have already done.
6.
Continue to develop verb tables.
7.
Add a new category for expressions and idioms. A newspaper will generally use
many common expressions. Identify each expression and define it. In many
cases, key words may be substituted in the expression to change either the subject
or the action of the expression. You may also be able to change the time of the
expression with the verb tense. Learn how the expression can be modified.
8.
In time, your language helper may write actual exercises using word substitution
or verb manipulation. However, this may require more time than is available
during the lesson period that, in fairness, may require additional payment.
The alphabet and numbers. Assuming that your target language uses an alphabet with
a relatively few letters, you will want to learn the correct pronunciation of each letter in
order to be able to spell words for first language speakers. You will also want to learn
the correct pronunciation for numbers. Construct simple drills for both letters and
numbers. Review the drills frequently enough that you can readily use both letters and
numbers, utilizing perfect pronunciation. See the alphabet and number drills in
Appendix A: Introductory Lesson.
You will probably use numbers more frequently because they are a part of daily
conversation in making purchases. Consequently, you will probably gain fluency with
numbers relatively quickly. However, be certain that you also learn the alphabet. As a
foreigner, you will frequently be asked to spell words. It will be a great help to you if
you learn to spell fluently in your target language.
Finally, if your target language uses a monetary system that is identified with anything
other than simple numbers such as we use in English — for example, we say seven
dollars, or three hundred and eighty dollars — you will also need to learn to rapidly use
that system as well. For example, in the country in which I lived for nine years, a price
could be specified in either MGF francs or the national ariary. The ariary was worth five
MGF francs. In the larger cities you could get by with calling the price 350 francs. In
remote areas, one was forced to bargain by calling the same amount 70 ariary. I learned,
much to my chagrin, that mistakenly bargaining a price for 350 ariary was going to cost
me a lot more than 350 francs. At least I won that bartering round at my first stated price!
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work
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Learning to Speak a Second Language
Recording the exercises. In spite of the high technology equipment that is available
today for MP3 and CD (compact disc) computer-based recording, some may still prefer
the low-tech cassette tape recorder. It is inexpensive and easy to use as both a recording
and a playback machine, and it has a pause button and counter that facilitates use in
language study. However, if you take a recorder with you, you will need to either take an
ample supply of cassette tapes with you, or verify that tapes can be purchased locally.
Also make certain that any equipment you take with you will work on the supplied
voltage and frequency of that country.
If you use a cassette recorder, limit your cassettes to the 60-minute length or less.
Longer duration cassettes use thinner tape that will not hold up to repeated forward and
reverse usage in language study. The thinner tape also tangles more easily.
Today's choice, however, would be MP3 technology. If you use an iPod or MP3
player, and have appropriate computer equipment, you may find that making the voice
recording on a CD and downloading it to the MP3 player is a good alternative. You can
also purchase auxiliary attachments that permit an iPod to record directly. In this case,
you will probably want to upload your MP3 files to a computer so that they could be
stored on CDs. Many MP3 players may be paused just like a cassette tape recorder.
You will need to establish a routine with your language helper. During the time he or
she is helping you, you will be working on text material that will be spontaneously
organized or written as recorded exercises. In addition, you may also record verb tables
and the like. You will need to allow enough time so that each day's recording can be
completed.
View the recorded material as the most important part of the lesson time spent with
your language helper. You can easily get three or four hours of language practice time
from each hour of recorded material. Thus, live conversation with your language helper
will only give you an hour of spoken language for an hour of your language helper's time,
whereas an hour of recording will give you a minimum of three or four hours of spoken
language time for the same hour of your language helper's time. In addition, past
recorded exercises can be frequently reviewed, which will give you even that much more
spoken language exercise.
There will also be days when your language helper is not available because of illness,
school schedule, holidays, and other reasons. Previous recorded exercises will allow you
to continue language study without lost time.
[1]
Hangul is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a phonemic alphabet where the
written letters correspond to the spoken sounds of the language, organized into syllabic blocks.
Each block consists of at least two of the 24 Hangul letters, with at least one each of the 14
consonants and 10 vowels. For more information see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangul .
The modern Japanese writing system uses three main scripts: Kanji (Chinese characters),
Hiragana, and Katakana. Hiragana and Katakana are a syllabary, a set of written symbols that
represent syllables. The native Japanese script is thus classified as an alphabet whereas the
imported Chinese script consists of characters. For more information see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_writing_system .
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work
50
Learning to Speak a Second Language
[2]
If you are enrolled in an established language school that uses grammar-based instruction, you
will probably want to reverse a suggestion made in Chapter 6: Selecting a Text. In that chapter, it
was recommended that you develop spoken language exercises from a written text (newspaper)
and have a language helper record the audio portion. If you were still able to do that while in an
established school, it would be the most effective approach. However, if time and/or finances
make that too difficult while you are already carrying the academic load of a class program, then
you may wish to find a radio or television program that you could record for the same purpose.
In this instance, the language used in a news cast would undoubtedly be simpler to use than one
that is dramatized. You would find the language in "talk shows," dramas, and the like to be much
more difficult to use. Furthermore, you would probably not have the luxury of edited audio. You
would need to rely on a pause function on your MP3 recorder to give you the time to repeat
sentences. It would also rely much more on your memory since initially you undoubtedly would
not have the skill to accurately transcribe the text. Nonetheless, you would profit more by
intensive study of fewer recordings than cursory study of a larger number of recordings.
[3]
Generally, at the conclusion of each lesson session, the language helper would record audio
lessons for the student to study alone. The actual recording would be done with a silent pause
following each phrase. (That is, during the recording session the student would not be speaking
during the pause, but the recorded pause would give the student time to repeat the statement
during subsequent study.) However, because the student's response time during actual use of the
exercises will always be greater than the language helper's recording time, some simple way to
time the pause during recording should be devised. Experience has shown that the best way for
the language helper to time pauses while recording language exercises is for the helper to silently
mouth the phrase — not think the phrase — with a deliberately slow cadence while the recorder
continues to run. This sequence would be repeated for each phrase.
Chapter 8: Making the Feedback Training Method Work
51
Looking to the Future
s the developer of the Feedback Training Method, I invite your contribution.
This new method for spoken language instruction is extremely popular with
international students because it is now possible to learn spoken English so much more
quickly than it has ever been before. But that does not mean that the method is fully
developed. It actually needs much more work before it is perfected. Many new language
courses using an improved Feedback Training Method need to be published.
A
One individual has never single-handedly perfected the world's truly great ideas or
technologies. Typically, an innovator initially introduces the idea. Yet before that idea
becomes truly successful, many others need to make their own contributions. Just as this
has been true in the development of flight, powered ships, electronics, and photography
(to name just a few), so it has been true in every area of education.
The emphasis the Feedback Training Method places on training the tongue's nerve
receptors simultaneously with memory is unique among language learning methods. It
certainly is not a part of ESL methodology, nor was it a part of either the Direct Method,
or the Audio-Lingual Method.
This method needs evaluation, criticism, and correction by many others in the field of
language instruction. It also needs similar evaluation from a large number of language
specialists who do not speak English as their first language.
The Feedback Training Method's greatest weakness is that it has not been compared
with other methods. In addition, it needs to be applied on a larger scale than is possible
from one website, even though hundreds of thousands of students are using the lessons.
Better English courses than Spoken English Learned Quickly need to be developed by
those who have the expertise and resources to do so. Similar courses for teaching other
languages also need to be produced for the growing world-wide language market.
Finally, I am not interested in promoting my name as the one who developed the
method. I want the method itself to succeed after others have assisted in its improvement.
My desire is that this method will help many become fluent speakers of their target
language in considerably less time than is now required. It serves my purpose best if
those who evaluate and develop this method receive full credit — and compensation —
for their work.
Toward that end, this material is not copyright protected. It may be freely used in a
way that best helps both you and others. Its continued use is the most effective way for
me to assure its usefulness to as many future language students as possible.
(Mr.) Lynn Lundquist
Appendix Overview
Appendix summary: The purpose of Appendices A - F is to demonstrate how certain
kinds of audio exercises may be written in the target language.
ppendices A - F are taken from the free, downloadable Spoken English Learned
Quickly language course (www.FreeEnglishNow.com). The purpose of each
appendix is to demonstrate how certain kinds of audio exercises may be written.
These examples are taken from an English language course because, for practical
purposes, the illustrations must be in English. However, you may use the examples to
develop your own exercises in your target language. The exercises you will write will
come from the sentences, expressions, and vocabulary found in newspaper articles in
your target language.
A
Notice that English alphabet (letter) and number (counting) exercises are introduced in
the first lesson. Each letter and counting exercise is repeated in at least four of the
sixteen Spoken English Learned Quickly lessons, though both exercises are not always
repeated in the same lesson. Proper pronunciation of a target language's alphabet and
numbers are often neglected in spoken language instruction.
Appendix A: Introductory Lesson
A spoken language course using the Feedback Training Method begins considerably
differently than does a grammar-based language course. The purpose of Appendix A is
to demonstrate that the very first lesson for students who have had no prior English study
begins with complete sentences. By the end of this first lesson, these beginning students
will be able to use these sentences with reasonable fluency. Note, however, that all verbs
are in the present tense. The alphabet and numbers are also introduced in this lesson. In
Exercise 1.9, the students are actually substituting words in the response.
Most beginning students think that this first lesson is too difficult when they first see it.
A week later, they are comfortable with it and doing well. In typical language programs
it is the emphasis on written grammar exercises rather than the spoken part of the
language which hinders rapid progress in attaining fluency.
Appendix B: Text Exercises
Appendix B demonstrates text exercises. A newspaper article may be recorded on an
audio recorder for spoken language instruction. Long sentences are broken into shorter
phrases when necessary. The language helper reads the phrase on the recording, and the
student repeats the phrase during the pause as indicated by the ellipses ( . . . ).
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Appendix C: Lesson Exercises
Appendix C illustrates a number of exercises that teach students how to ask a question,
how to use objective pronouns, how to use "may" as a statement of condition, how to use
"might" as a statement of condition, how to distinguish between "this" and "that," how to
use "do" for emphasis, how to use comparative and superlative forms of the adjective,
how to distinguish between "every" (that includes all in the group), and "every...who" or
"every...which" in which only some in a group are excluded, and how to change words
like "high" to "height," "wide" to "width," "deep" to "depth," "long" to "length," "thick"
to "thickness," "strong" to "strength," "weak" to "weakness," and "dark" to "darkness."
Appendix D: More Verb Exercises
Appendix D demonstrates three additional verb exercise formats.
Appendix E: Expression Exercises
Appendix E demonstrates two exercises that teach expressions.
Appendix F: Miscellaneous Exercises
Appendix F illustrates exercises that teach students how to use comparative and
superlative forms of the adjectives that are modified by "more" and "most," how to use
prepositions, how to express the range of possibility between "always" and "never," how
to use two-word verbs, and how to use more polite phraseology in expressing thoughts.
Appendix Overview
54
Appendix A: Introductory Lesson
Appendix A Objective: A spoken language course using the Feedback Training
Method begins considerably differently than does a grammar-based language course.
The purpose of Appendix A is to demonstrate that the very first lesson for students
who have had no prior English study begins with complete sentences. By the end of
this first lesson, these beginning students will be able to use these sentences with
reasonable fluency. Note, however, that all verbs are in the present tense. The
alphabet and numbers are also introduced in this lesson. In Exercise 1.9, the students
are actually substituting words in the response.
Most beginning students think that this first lesson is too difficult when they first
see it. A week later, they are comfortable with it and doing well. In typical language
programs it is the emphasis on written grammar exercises rather than the spoken part
of the language which hinders rapid progress in attaining fluency.
LESSON 1: ENGLISH SENTENCES
1.1 Repeat each sentence.
1.1a Hello. (Hello.)
1.1b How are you? (How are you?)
1.1c Fine. (Fine.)
1.1d Fine, thank you. (Fine, thank you.)
1.1e Okay, thanks. (Okay, thanks.)
1.1f Good morning. (Good morning.)
1.1g Good afternoon. (Good afternoon.)
1.1h Good evening. (Good evening.)
1.1i Excuse me. (Excuse me.)
1.1j What time is it? (What time is it?)
1.1k It is 2 o'clock. (It is 2 o'clock.)
1.1l Thank you. (Thank you.)
1.1m My name is John. (My name is John.)
1.1n What is your name? (What is your name?)
1.1o Do you live here? (Do you live here?)
Learning to Speak a Second Language
1.1p Yes, I live here. (Yes, I live here.)
1.1q Do you speak English? (Do you speak English?)
1.1r I speak a little English. (I speak a little English.)
1.1s Have you lived here long? (Have you lived here long?)
1.1t I have lived here two years. (I have lived here two years.)
1.3 Repeat each sentence.
1.3a Hello, how are you? (Hello, how are you?) / Hi, how are you? (Hi, how are you?) /
Hello. (Hello.) / Hi. (Hi.)
1.3b Fine, thank you. (Fine, thank you.) / Fine, thanks. (Fine, thanks.) / Okay, thanks.
(Okay, thanks.) / Okay. (Okay.)
1.3c How are you? (How are you?) / Fine, thanks. And you? (Fine, thanks. And you?)
1.3d Do you live here? (Do you live here?) / Do you live here in the city? (Do you live
here in the city?) / Are you from this city? (Are you from this city?)
1.5 Repeat each number.
0 [zero] (0)
1 [one] (1)
2 [two] (2)
3 [three] (3)
4 [four] (4)
5 [five] (5)
6 [six] (6)
7 [seven] (7)
8 [eight] (8)
9 [nine] (9)
10 [ten] (10)
11 [eleven]
(11)
12 [twelve]
(12)
13 [thirteen]
(13)
14 [fourteen] (14)
15 [fifteen]
(15)
16 [sixteen]
(16)
17 [seventeen]
(17)
18 [eighteen]
(18)
19 nineteen] (19)
20 [twenty]
(20)
30 [thirty]
(30)
40 [forty] (40)
50 [fifty] (50)
60 [sixty] (60)
70 [seventy]
(70)
80 [eighty]
(80)
90 [ninety]
(90)
100 [one
hundred] (100)
1,000 [one
thousand] (1,000)
1.6 Repeat each sentence.
1.6e Please help me. (Please help me.) / Help me. (Help me.) / Help. (Help.)
1.6f I am hurt. (I am hurt.) / I'm hurt. (I'm hurt.) / I'm not hurt. (I'm not hurt.)
1.6g My car will not start. (My car will not start.) / My car won't start. (My car won't
start.) / My car is out of gas. (My car is out of gas.) / Where is the closest gas
station? (Where is the closest gas station?)
Appendix A: Introductory Lesson
56
Learning to Speak a Second Language
1.6h What is your license number? (What is your license number?)
1.6i My child is sick. (My child is sick.) / My arm is hurt. (My arm is hurt.) / My wife
is sick. (My wife is sick.) / My husband is hurt. (My husband is hurt.)
1.7 Say each letter of the alphabet.
A / a
B / b
C / c
D / d
E / e
F / f
G / g
H / h
I / i
J / j
K / k
L / l
M / m
N / n
O / o
P / p
Q / q
R / r
S / s
T / t
U / u
V / v
W / w
X / x
Y / y
Z / z
1.9 Repeat each sentence after saying, "Excuse me."
1.9a Can you tell me where the store is? (Excuse me. Can you tell me where the store
is?) Excuse me. Can you tell me where the store is? (Excuse me. Can you tell me
where the store is?)
1.9b Can you tell me where the bathroom is? (Excuse me. Can you tell me where the
bathroom is?) Excuse me. Can you tell me where the bathroom is? (Excuse me.
Can you tell me where the bathroom is?)
1.9c Can you tell me where to find groceries? (Excuse me. Can you tell me where to
find groceries?) Excuse me. Can you tell me where to find groceries? (Excuse me.
Can you tell me where to find groceries?)
1.9d How much does it cost? (Excuse me. How much does it cost?) Excuse me. How
much does it cost? (Excuse me. How much does it cost?)
Appendix A: Introductory Lesson
57
Appendix B: Text Exercises
Appendix B Objective: Appendix B demonstrates text exercises. A newspaper
article may be recorded on an audio recorder for spoken language instruction. Long
sentences are broken into shorter phrases when necessary. The language helper reads
the phrase on the recording, and the student repeats the phrase during the pause as
indicated by the ellipses ( . . . ). During initial familiarization with the exercise, the
student may follow the written text while responding to the audio recording.
Subsequently, the majority of the study must be done entirely from recall memory
while using the audio recording.
This type of exercise would normally be taken from a newspaper article. In this
example, however, a fable from Spoken English Learned Quickly was used.
Both single-repeat and double-repeat formats are demonstrated in this exercise.
THE JOURNEY OF A WISE MAN: A Fable for English Learners
[These phrases use a single-repeat format.]
1
A long time ago, (A long time ago,) there was a wise man (there was a wise man)
living in a mountain country. (living in a mountain country.) A long time ago, there was
a wise man living in a mountain country. (A long time ago, there was a wise man living
in a mountain country.) The country was beautiful. (The country was beautiful.) But it
was always difficult (But it was always difficult) to find enough food. (to find enough
food.) But it was always difficult to find enough food. (But it was always difficult to
find enough food.)
2
The people of the High Country (The people of the High Country) decided that they
would travel together (decided that they would travel together) to the Low Country.
(the Low Country.) The people of the High Country decided that they would travel
together to the Low Country. (The people of the High Country decided that they would
travel together to the Low Country.) When the snow began to melt, (When the snow
began to melt,) they packed all they owned (they packed all they owned) into their
wagons. (into their wagons.) When the snow began to melt, they packed all they owned
into their wagons. (When the snow began to melt, they packed all they owned into their
wagons.) With anticipation mixed with sadness, (With anticipation mixed with sadness,)
the wise man and his neighbors (the wise man and his neighbors) left their High Country
homes. (left their High Country homes.) With anticipation mixed with sadness, the wise
man and his neighbors left their High Country homes. (With anticipation mixed with
sadness, the wise man and his neighbors left their High Country homes.)
3
The wise man noticed something strange (The wise man noticed something strange
taking place) soon after they began their journey. (soon after they began their journey.)
The wise man noticed something strange taking place soon after they began their journey.
Learning to Speak a Second Language
(The wise man noticed something strange taking place soon after they began their
journey.) As they traveled day after day, (As they traveled day after day,) his right arm
began to feel stiff. (his right arm began to feel stiff.) As they traveled day after day, his
right arm began to feel stiff. (As they traveled day after day, his right arm began to feel
stiff.)
[The complete sentences use a double-repeat format.]
The further they traveled from the High Country, (The further they traveled from the
High Country,) the weaker it became. (the weaker it became.) The further they traveled
from the High Country, the weaker it became. (The further they traveled from the High
Country, the weaker it became.) The further they traveled from the High Country, the
weaker it became. (The further they traveled from the High Country, the weaker it
became.) Three things puzzled him. (Three things puzzled him.) Three things puzzled
him. (Three things puzzled him.) First, his arm always felt the weakest (First, his arm
always felt the weakest) whenever they stopped in a village. (whenever they stopped in
a village.) First, his arm always felt the weakest whenever they stopped in a village.
(First, his arm always felt the weakest whenever they stopped in a village.) First, his arm
always felt the weakest whenever they stopped in a village. (First, his arm always felt the
weakest whenever they stopped in a village.) Secondly, (Secondly,) he noticed that
when the travelers from the High Country (he noticed that when the travelers from the
High Country) gathered around a fire at night (gathered around a fire at night) to talk
among themselves, (to talk among themselves,) his arm became strong again. (his arm
became strong again.) Secondly, he noticed that when the travelers from the High
Country gathered around a fire at night to talk among themselves, his arm became strong
again. (Secondly, he noticed that when the travelers from the High Country gathered
around a fire at night to talk among themselves, his arm became strong again.) Secondly,
he noticed that when the travelers from the High Country gathered around a fire at night
to talk among themselves, his arm became strong again. (Secondly, he noticed that when
the travelers from the High Country gathered around a fire at night to talk among
themselves, his arm became strong again.)
[The remainder of the story is included for those who want to read the entire fable.]
4
His third discovery puzzled him the most. When he put his arm behind his back, it no
longer felt stiff and useless.
5
One day the wise man was startled. As his wagon rounded a bend in a high mountain
road, he looked down on his neighbors' wagons ahead of him. He realized that many
others were also holding an arm behind their back. As he looked more closely, he saw
that some older people had even tied their arm in place with a rope.
6
Why, he wondered, was this happening?
7
At last they reached the Low Country. The weather was warm. The fields would
produce grain and the forests would supply lumber for their houses. Life looked
promising. Promising, that is, except for their weak arms. It was rumored that the Low
Appendix B: Text Exercises
59
Learning to Speak a Second Language
Country's air caused this strange weakness. Some of the people even said they must learn
to live with this weakness if they wanted to stay in the Low Country.
8
The adults and children set to work. They cleared the land, planted crops, and prepared
lumber to build their new homes. A High Country tailor sewed a new kind of coat that
would hold the useless arm in place. He also put leather on the coat so the shoulder could
push heavy loads. Even with the new coat, however, work was slow because everyone
used only one arm.
9
Again, the wise man noticed a strange thing. First, he noticed that — even though it
caused them pain — the children soon began using their weak arm again. Secondly, the
wise man noticed that whenever the High Country people met together in their first
buildings, if they shut all the doors and windows, strength returned to the arms of even
the oldest men and women. "Surely," most said, "this proves that the Low Country air is
at fault." Most agreed that the only solution was to build houses so strong that all Low
Country air could be kept outside. But the wise man was puzzled most because the
children seemed to become stronger while playing and working outside in the Low
Country air.
10
The wise man watched his High Country neighbors trying to build their houses while
using only one arm. He became fearful for his people's welfare. The new coat helped
them work faster with one arm. But winter was coming and neither the houses nor the
crops would be ready if everyone continued to work with one arm behind their back.
11
The wise man learned a lesson from the children. He realized that — even though it
was painful — using his weak arm for hard work was the only way to make it strong
again. Because winter was coming, he knew that he could not stop working on his house
in order to spend all his time trying to make his arm strong. But he also knew that he
could not finish his house before winter unless he used both arms. The wise man decided
that if he was to finish his house before winter, he must spend some time each day
strengthening his arm so that he could finish his house more quickly.
12
The wise man spent time each day both strengthening his arm and working on his
house. He finished his house before winter.
13
Some High Country people perished that winter because the snow came before their
crops were harvested and their houses finished. They had worked slowly every day
because they were afraid to stop working on their houses long enough to strengthen their
weak arm.
14
If you live in the United States and cannot speak English well, you are living as though
one arm was tied behind your back. You must work to support your family. But if you
do not spend time each day learning English, you will be limited for the rest of your life.
Spoken English Learned Quickly was written so that you can study at home and still hold
a job. If you will regularly study English each day for six months to a year, your English
will greatly improve. You will be more able to earn higher wages, live more effectively
in your community, and talk with your children as they learn English in school.
Appendix B: Text Exercises
60
Appendix C: Lesson Exercises
Appendix C Objective: Appendix C illustrates a number of exercises that teach
students how to ask a question, how to use objective pronouns, how to use "may" as a
statement of condition, how to use "might" as a statement of condition, how to
distinguish between "this" and "that," how to use "do" for emphasis, how to use
comparative and superlative forms of the adjective, how to distinguish between
"every" (that includes all in the group), and "every...who" or "every...which" in which
only some in a group are excluded, and how to change words like "high" to "height,"
"wide" to "width," "deep" to "depth," "long" to "length," "thick" to "thickness,"
"strong" to "strength," "weak" to "weakness," and "dark" to "darkness."
The number identifies the lesson, exercise, and sentence from Spoken English
Learned Quickly. 5.7a is from Lesson 5, exercise 7, sentence "a."
[This exercise teaches students how to ask a question.]
5.7 Ask the question that the statement answers. I will say, "Yes, I like this car." You will
answer, "Do you like this car?"
5.7a Yes, I like this car.
(Do you like this car?) Do you like this car? (Do you like this car?)
5.7b Yes, he likes this car.
(Does he like this car?) Does he like this car? (Does he like this car?)
5.7c Yes, we like this car.
(Do we like this car?) Do we like this car? (Do we like this car?)
[This exercise teaches students how to use objective pronouns.]
5.9 I will ask, "Who is he talking to?" Then I will say, "Me?" You will answer, "He is
talking to me."
5.9a Who is he talking to? Me?
(He is talking to me.) He is talking to me. (He is talking to me.)
5.9b Who is he talking to? Him?
(He is talking to him.) He is talking to him. (He is talking to him.)
5.9c Who is he talking to? Her?
(He is talking to her.) He is talking to her. (He is talking to her.)
Learning to Speak a Second Language
5.9d Who is he talking to? It?
(He is talking to it.) He is talking to it. (He is talking to it.)
[This exercise teaches students how to use "may" as a statement of condition.]
11.3 Answer each sentence with "I don't know yet," and "may."
11.3a Will you go tomorrow?
(I don't know yet. I may go tomorrow.) I don't know yet. I may go tomorrow. (I
don't know yet. I may go tomorrow.)
11.3c Will it be a large amount of money?
(I don't know yet. It may be a large amount of money.) I don't know yet. It may be a
large amount of money. (I don't know yet. It may be a large amount of money.)
11.3d Will they do all of their work?
(I don't know yet. They may do all of their work.) I don't know yet. They may do all
of their work. (I don't know yet. They may do all of their work.)
[This exercise teaches students how to use "might" as a statement of condition.]
11.4 Answer each sentence with "I don't think I (or another person) will. But I (or the
other person) might . . ."
11.4a Will you go tomorrow?
(I don't think I will. But I might go tomorrow.) I don't think I will. But I might go
tomorrow. (I don't think I will. But I might go tomorrow.)
11.4c Will we give a large amount of money?
(I don't think we will. But we might give a large amount of money.) I don't think we
will. But we might give a large amount of money. (I don't think we will. But we
might give a large amount of money.)
11.4d Will they do all of their work?
(I don't think they will. But they might do all of their work.) I don't think they will.
But they might do all of their work. (I don't think they will. But they might do all of
their work.)
[This exercise teaches students how to distinguish between "this" and "that."]
13.3 I will ask, "Do the children need this book?" You will answer, "No. But I know they
need that book." I will ask, "Does he want to read these books?" You will answer,
"No. But I know he wants to read those books."
Appendix C: Lesson Exercises
62
Learning to Speak a Second Language
13.3a Do the children need this book?
(No. But I know they need that book.) No. But I know they need that book. (No. But
I know they need that book.)
13.3b Does he want to read these books?
(No. But I know he wants to read those books.) No. But I know he wants to read
those books. (No. But I know he wants to read those books.)
13.3c Do we already have people from this group?
(No. But I know we already have people from that group.) No. But I know we
already have people from that group. (No. But I know we already have people from
that group.)
[This exercise teaches students how to use "do" for emphasis.]
13.5 I will ask, "Do you speak English?" You will answer, "Yes, I do speak English." I
will say, "He doesn't speak English, does he?" You will answer, "Yes, he does speak
English."
13.5a Do you speak English?
(Yes, I do speak English.) Yes, I do speak English. (Yes, I do speak English.)
13.5b He doesn't speak English, does he?
(Yes, he does speak English.) Yes, he does speak English. (Yes, he does speak
English.)
13.5c Does she perform well with others?
(Yes, she does perform well with others.) Yes, she does perform well with others.
(Yes, she does perform well with others.)
[This exercise teaches students how to use comparative and superlative forms of the
adjective. Other vocabulary is used in the exercise such as "tall" "tallest," "old" "older"
"oldest," "noisy" "noisier" "noisiest," "short" "shorter" "shortest," "good" "better" "best,"
and "bad" "worse" "worst."]
13.7 I will ask, "Do you see that big crowd?" You will answer, "Yes, but the one we saw
yesterday was bigger." I will ask again, "Do you see that big crowd?" You will
answer, "Yes, but the one we will see tomorrow will be the biggest."
13.7a Do you see the big crowd?
(Yes, but the one we saw yesterday was bigger.) Yes, but the one we saw yesterday
was bigger. (Yes, but the one we saw yesterday was bigger.)
Appendix C: Lesson Exercises
63
Learning to Speak a Second Language
13.7b Do you see the big crowd?
(Yes, but the one we will see tomorrow will be the biggest.) Yes, but the one we will
see tomorrow will be the biggest. (Yes, but the one we will see tomorrow will be the
biggest.)
13.7c Did they put the tall people together?
(Yes, but the ones they put together yesterday were taller.) Yes, but the ones they
put together yesterday were taller. (Yes, but the ones they put together yesterday
were taller.)
[This exercise teaches students how to distinguish between "every" which includes all in
the group, and "every...who" or "every...which" in which some in a group are excluded.]
14.7 Repeat each sentence.
14.7a Everyone sold a house. (Everyone sold a house.)
Everyone in this group owned a house. (Everyone in this group owned a house.)
Everyone sold a house. (Everyone sold a house.)
14.7b Everyone who owned a house sold it. (Everyone who owned a house sold it.)
Some in this group owned a house. (Some in this group owned a house.)
Some did not own a house. (Some did not own a house.)
Those who owned a house sold it. (Those who owned a house sold it.)
14.7c Every car was repaired. (Every car was repaired.)
Every car in this group needed to be repaired. (Every car in this group needed to be
repaired.)
Every car was repaired. (Every car was repaired.)
14.7d Every car that needed to be repaired was fixed. (Every car that needed to be
repaired was fixed.)
Some cars in this group needed to be repaired. (Some cars in this group needed to be
repaired.)
Some cars did not need to be repaired. (Some cars did not need to be repaired.)
Those cars that needed it were repaired. (Those cars that needed it were repaired.)
14.7e Every member was sick and was given help. (Every member was sick and was
given help.)
Every member in this group was sick. (Every member in this group was sick.)
Every member was given help. (Every member was given help.)
Appendix C: Lesson Exercises
64
Learning to Speak a Second Language
14.7f Every member who was sick was given help. (Every member who was sick was
given help.)
Some members in this group were sick. (Some members in this group were sick.)
Some members were not sick. (Some members were not sick.)
The members who were sick were given help. (The members who were sick were
given help.)
[This exercise teaches students how to change words like "high" to "height," "wide" to
"width," "deep" to "depth," "long" to "length," "thick" to "thickness," "strong" to
"strength," "weak" to "weakness," and "dark" to "darkness."]
14.9 Repeat each sentence.
14.9a How high is that mountain? (How high is that mountain?)
Its height is over 11,000 feet. (Its height is over 11,000 feet.)
14.9b How wide is their house? (How wide is their house?)
Its width is almost 50 feet. (Its width is almost 50 feet.)
14.9c How deep is the water? (How deep is the water?)
Its depth is about 100 feet. (Its depth is about 100 feet.)
Appendix C: Lesson Exercises
65
Appendix D: More Verb Exercises
Appendix D Objective: Appendix D demonstrates three additional verb exercise
formats.
6.3 Repeat each sentence at the time I tell you. I will say, "Yesterday I needed groceries.
Today _________." You will answer, "Today I need groceries." Use the same person
(I, he, she, we, you or they) in the sentence.
6.3a Yesterday I needed groceries. Today _________.
(Today I need groceries.) Today I need groceries. (Today I need groceries.)
Today he needs groceries. Tomorrow _________.
(Tomorrow he will need groceries.) Tomorrow he will need groceries. (Tomorrow
he will need groceries.)
Tomorrow we will need groceries. Yesterday _________.
(Yesterday we needed groceries.) Yesterday we needed groceries. (Yesterday we
needed groceries.)
6.3b Yesterday they appealed to the men. Today _________.
(Today they appeal to the men.) Today they appeal to the men. (Today they appeal
to the men.)
Today we appeal to the men. Tomorrow _________.
(Tomorrow we will appeal to the men.) Tomorrow we will appeal to the men.
(Tomorrow we will appeal to the men.)
Tomorrow you will appeal to the men. Yesterday _________.
(Yesterday you appealed to the men.) Yesterday you appealed to the men.
(Yesterday you appealed to the men.)
6.3c Yesterday you added your brother to the group. Today _________.
(Today you add your brother to the group.) Today you add your brother to the group.
(Today you add your brother to the group.)
Today he adds your brother to the group. Tomorrow _________.
(Tomorrow he will add your brother to the group.) Tomorrow he will add your
brother to the group. (Tomorrow he will add your brother to the group.)
Learning to Speak a Second Language
12.3 Say each sentence using the word I will give you. I will tell you if the sentence
should be in the present, the past, or the future.
12.3a Use the words "to agree."
Present. The man I know from that group always _________.
(The man I know from that group always agrees.) The man I know from that group
always agrees. (The man I know from that group always agrees.)
Past. The man I know from that group always _________.
(The man I know from that group always agreed.) The man I know from that group
always agreed. (The man I know from that group always agreed.)
Future. The man I know from that group will always _________.
(The man I know from that group will always agree.) The man I know from that
group will always agree. (The man I know from that group will always agree.)
Present. The group of men I know always _________.
(The group of men I know always agrees.) The group of men I know always agrees.
(The group of men I know always agrees.)
Past. The group of men I know always _________.
(The group of men I know always agreed.) The group of men I know always agreed.
(The group of men I know always agreed.)
Present. The group of men I know will always _________.
(The group of men I know will always agree.) The group of men I know will always
agree. (The group of men I know will always agree.)
12.3b Use the words "to claim."
Present. Peter _________ to follow the orders.
(Peter claims to follow the orders.) Peter claims to follow the orders. (Peter claims to
follow the orders.)
Past. Peter _________ to follow the orders.
(Peter claimed to follow the orders.) Peter claimed to follow the orders. (Peter
claimed to follow the orders.)
Future. Peter _________ to follow the orders.
(Peter will claim to follow the orders.) Peter will claim to follow the orders. (Peter
will claim to follow the orders.)
Present. Peter and John _________ to follow the orders.
(Peter and John claim to follow the orders.) Peter and John claim to follow the
orders. (Peter and John claim to follow the orders.)
Past. Peter and John _________ to follow the orders.
Appendix D: More Verb Exercises
67
Learning to Speak a Second Language
(Peter and John claimed to follow the orders.) Peter and John claimed to follow the
orders. (Peter and John claimed to follow the orders.)
Future. Peter and John _________ to follow the orders.
(Peter and John will claim to follow the orders.) Peter and John will claim to follow
the orders. (Peter and John will claim to follow the orders.)
16.2 Repeat each sentence.
16.2a Complete the following sentences with "their coats up over there."
I always hang (I always hang their coats up over there.) / I always hung (I always
hung their coats up over there.) / I will hang (I will hang their coats up over there.)
She always hangs (She always hangs their coats up over there.) / She always hung
(She always hung their coats up over there.) / She will hang (She will hang their
coats up over there.)
You seldom hang (You seldom hang their coats up over there.) / You seldom hung
(You seldom hung their coats up over there.) / You will hang (You will hang their
coats up over there.)
Complete the following sentences with "the phone up immediately."
We usually hang (We usually hang the phone up immediately.) / We usually hung
(We usually hung the phone up immediately.) / We will hang (We will hang the
phone up immediately.)
They never hang (They never hang the phone up immediately.) / They never hung
(They never hung the phone up immediately.) / They will hang (They will hang the
phone up immediately.)
16.2b Complete the following sentences with "the law while driving."
I never break (I never break the law while driving.) / I never broke (I never broke the
law while driving.) / I will never break (I will never break the law while driving.)
He never breaks (He never breaks the law while driving.) / He never broke (He
never broke the law while driving.) / He will never break (He will never break the
law while driving.)
You never break (You never break the law while driving.) / You never broke (You
never broke the law while driving.) / You will never break (You will never break the
law while driving.)
Complete the following sentences with "the meeting up at noon."
We usually break (We usually break the meeting up at noon.) / We broke (We broke
the meeting up at noon.) / We will break (We will break the meeting up at noon.)
They always break (They always break the meeting up at noon.) / They broke (They
broke the meeting up at noon.) / They will break (They will break the meeting up at
noon.)
Appendix D: More Verb Exercises
68
Appendix E: Expression Exercises
Appendix E Objective: Appendix E demonstrates two exercises which teach
expressions.
[This exercise teaches students how to use the expression, "No, I don't have any. . ., but I
will give you what I have."]
7.4 I will ask, "Do you have any money?" You will answer, "No, I don't have any money,
but I will give you what I have."
7.4a Do you have any money?
(No, I don't have any money, but I will give you what I have.) No, I don't have any
money, but I will give you what I have. (No, I don't have any money, but I will give
you what I have.)
7.4b Do you have any water?
(No, I don't have any water, but I will give you what I have.) No, I don't have any
water, but I will give you what I have. (No, I don't have any water, but I will give
you what I have.)
7.4c Do you have any cash?
(No, I don't have any cash, but I will give you what I have.) No, I don't have any
cash, but I will give you what I have. (No, I don't have any cash, but I will give you
what I have.)
7.4d Do you have any gifts?
(No, I don't have any gifts, but I will give you what I have.) No, I don't have any
gifts, but I will give you what I have. (No, I don't have any gifts, but I will give you
what I have.)
7.4e Do you have any groceries?
(No, I don't have any groceries, but I will give you what I have.) No, I don't have
any groceries, but I will give you what I have. (No, I don't have any groceries, but I
will give you what I have.)
[This exercise teaches students how to use the expression, "I told you a long time ago
that. . ."]
8.8 I will ask a question. You will answer the question by saying, "I told you a long time
ago that _________."
Learning to Speak a Second Language
8.8a Will we be leaving together?
(I told you a long time ago that we will be leaving together.) I told you a long time
ago that we will be leaving together. (I told you a long time ago that we will be
leaving together.)
8.8b Will they reject their ignorance?
(I told you a long time ago that they will reject their ignorance.) I told you a long
time ago that they will reject their ignorance. (I told you a long time ago that they
will reject their ignorance.)
8.8c Will he suffer because of their presence?
(I told you a long time ago that he will suffer because of their presence.) I told you a
long time ago that he will suffer because of their presence. (I told you a long time
ago that he will suffer because of their presence.)
8.8d Will the whole store be closed?
(I told you a long time ago that the whole store will be closed.) I told you a long
time ago that the whole store will be closed. (I told you a long time ago that the
whole store will be closed.)
8.8e Will all our children be at the house?
(I told you a long time ago that all our children will be at the house.) I told you a
long time ago that all our children will be at the house. (I told you a long time ago
that all our children will be at the house.)
Appendix E: Expression Exercises
70
Appendix F: Miscellaneous Exercises
Appendix F Objective: Appendix F illustrates exercises that teach students how to
use comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives that are modified by "more"
and "most," how to use prepositions, how to express the range of possibility between
"always" and "never," how to use two-word verbs, and how to use more polite
phraseology in expressing thoughts.
[This exercise teaches students how to use comparative and superlative forms of the
adjective which use "more" and "most."]
13.8 I will say, "Is she the most famous person here?" You will answer, "I don't think so.
But she is more famous than most of the others."
13.8a Is she the most famous person here?
(I don't think so. But she is more famous than most of the others.) I don't think so.
But she is more famous than most of the others. (I don't think so. But she is more
famous than most of the others.)
13.8c Will they be the most peaceful people here?
(I don't think so. But they will be more peaceful than most of the others.) I don't
think so. But they will be more peaceful than most of the others. (I don't think so.
But they will be more peaceful than most of the others.)
13.8f Were they the most responsible people here?
(I don't think so. But they were more responsible than most of the others.) I don't
think so. But they were more responsible than most of the others. (I don't think so.
But they were more responsible than most of the others.)
[This exercise teaches students how to use prepositions. It also includes "inside,"
"beside," "in front of," "outside," "close to," "behind," "under," "around," and "through."]
14.5 I will say, "I walked near ________." You will answer, "I walked near the house." I
will say, "We walked toward ________." You will answer, "We walked toward the
house."
14.5a I walked near ________.
(I walked near the house.) I walked near the house. (I walked near the house.)
14.5b We walked toward ________.
Learning to Speak a Second Language
(We walked toward the house.) We walked toward the house. (We walked toward
the house.)
14.5c They walked away from ________.
(They walked away from the house.) They walked away from the house. (They
walked away from the house.)
[This exercise teaches students how to express the range of possibility between "always"
and "never." This exercise also includes sentences for "often," "sometimes,"
"occasionally," "seldom," "infrequently," "rarely," and "never."]
14.8 Repeat the sentence, adding the word I give you. I will say, "We wait for the
children by the bus stop. Then I will say, "always." You will answer, "We always
wait for the children by the bus stop."
14.8a We wait for the children by the bus stop. always
(We always wait for the children by the bus stop.) We always wait for the children
by the bus stop. (We always wait for the children by the bus stop.)
14.8b They come by 3 o'clock. usually
(They usually come by 3 o'clock.) They usually come by 3 o'clock. (They usually
come by 3 o'clock.)
14.8c We see other children waiting there. frequently
(We frequently see other children waiting there.) We frequently see other children
waiting there. (We frequently see other children waiting there.)
[This exercise teaches students how to use two-word verbs. Many other two-word verbs
such as "called up," "cleaned up," "do over," "drop in," "drop off," "fill out," "get on,"
"get up," "give back," "hand in," "hang up," "look over," "look into," "look up" are also
used in the exercise.]
16.3 Repeat each sentence.
16.3a They broke the meeting up at noon. (They broke the meeting up at noon.)
They will break up at noon. (They will break up at noon.)
16.3b She brought the children up by herself. (She brought the children up by herself.)
He will bring the topic up during dinner. (He will bring the topic up during dinner.)
16.3c They called the meeting off this morning. (They called the meeting off this
morning.)
They called off the meeting. (They called off the meeting.)
Appendix F: Miscellaneous Exercises
72
Learning to Speak a Second Language
[This exercise teaches students how to express thoughts more politely.]
16.7 Repeat each sentence.
16.7e Sit down. (Sit down.)
Please sit down. (Please sit down.)
16.7f Listen to me. (Listen to me.)
May I please have your attention? (May I please have your attention?)
16.7j Get out of my way. (Get out of my way.)
May I please come through? (May I please come through?)
16.7m I want to talk now. (I want to talk now.)
Excuse me. May I say something? (Excuse me. May I say something?)
Appendix F: Miscellaneous Exercises
73
his book is required reading for any busy professional person,
student, or social service provider planning to learn a new
spoken language.
If you will soon be living or working in another culture where your
business success, academic degrees, or your ability to communicate
with others depends on your ability to speak another language, you
will not have the time to waste on antiquated grammar-based
language instruction.
The new Feedback Training Method described in this book was
developed to quickly teach spoken English using the Spoken English
Learned Quickly lesson series. It has proven itself dramatically suc-
cessful with hundreds of thousands of students using the course in
over 200 countries. Through www.FreeEnglishNow.com, it has
become the world’s most widely distributed spoken English language
course.
With that background of success, this book was written to enable
you to apply the same effective language learning method to any spo-
ken language.
•
You will discover what the Feedback Training Method is and why
it is so effective.
•
You will see why learning to speak your target language fluently
will give you the ability to read and write that language more
quickly than if you were simply to study its grammar.
•
You will learn how to develop exercises, use a local newspaper for
a language text, and study the verb construction of your target
language.
•
You will read six appendices which give examples for developing
spoken language drills in your target language.
Whether you will be studying in an established language school or
studying on your own, Learning to Speak a Second Language will
help you acquire your target language in less time with greater
fluency than conventional language learning methods.
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